Counting Every Star
by BeautyHeldWithin
Summary: A broken Kurt Hummel ran away from his failures to spend a summer with his Aunt in picturesque Cape May. There he met met a mysterious renaissance man who would make Kurt open up and turn his world and everything he believed on its head.
1. On the Way to Cape May

**This is my new story! It is a lot more like Once in a Blue Moon with a bit of mystery, angst, and maybe love!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Kurt's eyes felt mutinously heavy as he accelerated down the Garden State Parkway. Mini vans full of happy families with weary parents fell behind as Kurt broke the speed limit several times over. Twelve hours after leaving Lima, he was sick and tired of being cooped up inside a car, tired of the same twenty songs on the radio, and tired of being alone with his thoughts.

Too many thoughts that would haunt him for the rest of his life – thoughts that differed from the three letters buried deep inside his suitcase, to the town he left behind, to the town he was about to enter.

So many failures, so many wrong turns, too many mistakes, and a million lost opportunities. Kurt didn't want to dwell on the past; he knew it would get him nowhere; as if that wasn't where he was headed now. Nevertheless, if someone had told him four years ago that he would be moving in with his perpetually single Aunt that he barely knew, living in a town with _less_ regular people than Lima, Ohio, and working in a rundown dress repair shop, he probably would have slapped them.

Nonetheless, here he was. His only friend from high school, Mercedes Jones, was constantly texting him updates about college orientation at Ohio State. He had tried not to let his jealousy tinge her happy day, but he couldn't help himself. That was supposed to be him. He was supposed to be the one experiencing the happiness of college orientation – doing the stupid dances, meeting amazing people, getting drunk, and falling helplessly in love. He had shut his phone off so he wouldn't have the urge to text her back things he didn't really mean.

Kurt made a few turns, going mostly from his innate sense of direction that he had inherited from his father. Kurt smiled as he thought about Burt Hummel. Burt had been so against Kurt moving here, he wanted Kurt to wait the summer out and see if anything changed for him.

However, Kurt was afraid if he stayed the extra three months on a whim, he would never leave Lima – and that was far scarier than any of his other prospects.

Therefore, he took the best one, and perhaps the only one that would pad his resume enough to give him the courage to apply to fashion schools again next year. That option landed him in Cape May, New Jersey: year round population of 3,500. His Aunt Meg had sold the idea to him, though the thought of a summer spent at the beach, altering dresses, and living in a bed and breakfast wasn't exactly Kurt's idea of a perfect summer.

He had thought it would entail traipsing around New York City and completely remaking himself into someone he actually wanted to be.

Burt eventually warmed up to the idea when he realized that his sister was struggling with the maintenance of the various bed and breakfasts she owned on the small island, _which wasn't really an island_, he remembered, though they called it one.

Kurt pulled up slowly outside of the house he would call his home for at least the next few months of his life. His heart sank when he took in the exterior of the house. If he thought he was leaving Lima for the higher life, he was sadly mistaken.

The paint was peeling off the two-story house, the pink paint giving way to something that looked vaguely gray or perhaps a light blue? Surely, the sea air had stripped through the paint, but the houses around it were various shades of bright purples, blue, and yellow. The house itself looked like it could have been beautiful at some point. The Victorian architecture needed more help than the paint did, but Kurt could almost imagine what it looked like if it would be fixed up.

"Kurt!" a shrieking voice yelled before a tall women sprinted out the front door, banging it vigorously against the siding of the house; Kurt suddenly understood where the chips and cracks came from. Kurt braced himself against the car as his Aunt wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're here!" she whispered into his ear. Kurt could smell the vanilla and apple on her skin and couldn't help but feel better. "How was your trip? Don't you love it here? The sea air always gives me a new perspective on life!"

"Thank you for having me Aunt Meg," Kurt said dutifully while pulling away, "it really is sweet of you."

"Nonsense, you don't have to pretend with me. I know you'd rather be in some high rise in New York City than in a bed and breakfast on the beach," Meg grabbed two of Kurt's suitcases, "Come on in though. We have to make the best of whatever life throws us and you're probably tired from driving and I'm just about to finish dinner." She walked towards the house chattering away about neighbors, things to see, and the house itself.

Kurt grabbed a few more bags and made a mental note to bring in more before dark. "The house...has a lot of character," he commented, quickly dodging a huge hole in on the steps. The woman talked much more than Burt did, and Kurt found himself struggling to keep up with her array of topics.

"It's a dump," Meg laughed, "but I just hired the Puckerman boy and a few of his friends to fix it up. I figure with some new lattice work and a coat of paint, she should be okay." Meg looked back to Kurt, "I'll show you your room first, yeah?"

Kurt nodded and followed the woman up a set of narrow, steep steps. He made sure he was quiet, he wasn't sure if there were guests or if the place was empty.

He sort of hoped it was.

"I thought I was living in some separate building with other kids," Kurt asked eventually, "not that I mind!" In fact, he preferred not having to make friends with anyone. He was here to pad his resume – that was it.

Meg threw the bags she was carrying into a room with a loud thud. "Well I did have a place for you in one of the houses I rent out for the kids that just come here for the summer but a kid came and practically begged me for the room. He seemed like he really needed it and I'm a bleeding heart so you ended up here. Trust me, this is nicer for you anyway. Closer to Emma's shop, the beach, and the promenade, plus I tend to think I smell better than those boys anyway."

Kurt nodded, "Well thank you, I know this takes away from some of your customers. I would be willing to pay rent off my salary if you want..."

"No," she interrupted, "I know what it's like to just have to get away. I did the same thing the summer after I graduated. I left Ohio thinking I would be back come September. I've only gone back three times since then – when your father got married, when you were born, and when your mom died. Ohio is like a black pit that sucks you in and tries to keep you there. It is my honor to give you a place to go."

Kurt laughed because he had described Ohio like that a million times in his life. He loved his Aunt; she understood exactly where he was coming from. He used to Skype her almost nightly just to talk about the issues he had in school. His father and Mercedes sympathized, but they didn't really understand what he was actually going through. Meg did. It was different talking to her face to face though, and he felt shy. He rarely conversed with people at home and to do it now with someone so talkative brought him far from his comfort zone.

"So this is your room," she said as if it was not obvious. "It's called the "Captain's Room" in the manual but in reality it is the least crappy of the rooms we have here." She stomped her foot down on a loose floorboard, "You can see why I barely have any customers."

Kurt looked around and could not help but feel a little disheartened at the state of the room. The sickly green wallpaper clashed with the Christmas green rug. The bed looked comfortable enough, but the headboard that took up half of the wall seemed immense and excessive. Nevertheless, it had a chair, a vanity, and a wardrobe. It was all Kurt would really need. In addition, there was a huge balcony that led to a walkway that overlooked the ocean.

Meg saw Kurt looking at the structure and explained, "It's a widow's walk. According to legend, it was put on houses so that the wives of captains and other mariners could watch for the ships to come in."

"So why "widow's" walk then?" Kurt asked as he stared at the structure; he made a mental note to do some research on nautical terminology.

Meg looked sad for a moment, "Because more often than not, especially here, the ships never returned home. The women were usually widowed. One day I'll take you down to the shipwreck that's still visible in the water."

Kurt shivered and looked out at the short beach and the waves. He couldn't help but think how many lives the water had taken. It was early in the season, so there were only a few people – mostly older women in huge bonnets and striped swimming suits. Kurt had never been to the beach before and it didn't look like somewhere he wanted to visit. The sand sparkled with what he assumed was glass of some sort and the ocean looked rough. A bored lifeguard sat on a high chair every football field or so, but Kurt doubted they would do anything.

He quickly closed the door and curtains to unpack his things.

Meg hovered awkwardly, "Do you need anything? Like I said, dinner is cooking now. You have your own bathroom and linens. Your Dad said you'd probably bring everything on your own but we do have a 5&10 about a ten minute walk away…."

Kurt realized then that he needed to call his father. "I'm fine, Meg, really. Just tired. I need to call my Dad and then I'll be down for dinner, okay?"

She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Kurt jumped onto the bed and found it to be fairly comfortable. He assumed Meg had given him a better mattress. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Burt.

"Hey Kurt! Are you in New Jersey safe and sound? Ready to come home yet?" his father's voice was perky but even over the phone; Kurt could tell he was worried.

He curled into himself, leaning against the massive headboard and feeling even smaller, "Hey Dad. Yeah, I got here okay. I hit some traffic in the middle of Pennsylvania but it wasn't too bad."

"Is your room alright? I told Meg you were fussy."

Kurt groaned, "Dad, I'm not fussy! She's actually having me live with her because some kid took the room I was supposed to have." Great, his Aunt was going to hate him too.

"Oh man that stinks. Hopefully you can still get to know them, right?"

Kurt shrugged before realizing his father couldn't see him. "It doesn't really matter to me. I'm used to doing it alone."

"You shouldn't be," his father sounded sad. "At least try to get to know some of the people there? Maybe they will be a little more friendly than the kids here."

Kurt assumed rabid dogs were friendlier than the people he grew up with; he had several circular shaped scars from locks on lockers and doorknobs to prove just how nice people from Lima were. "I will try Dad," he hated lying but he didn't want his father to worry.

"Look, if it's too much you can come back here. You aren't going to change the minds of those idiots in college admissions offices by moving to a different city," Burt reasoned.

However, Kurt had heard the argument too many times, "I know that, Dad. But I need to do something. Here I can at least get experience so I can try again next year."

"Alright. But if you want to come home you just let me know. You don't even have to let me know, just come home. And I'm serious about trying to make some friends."

Kurt slammed his head back against the headboard, "I know Dad," he said through gritted teeth. "Meg's calling me for dinner, I have to go. I love you."

"Love you too, Kurt."

He had lied to his father again but didn't feel too badly about it. What Kurt hated the most was the pity in the voices of everyone around him. No, he had not gotten into any of the colleges he'd applied to; no, he didn't have any friends in high school; no, he didn't go to his prom; no, he wasn't going to attend his graduation in a week; no, he'd never had a boyfriend or even someone who was sort of like a boyfriend; and no, he didn't have a definite future plan.

But he was working on it, and for that reason alone he decided that he didn't need anyone's pity.

Did he want friends? Yes, but he didn't feel like he should have to go out of his way to get them. Everyone else seemed to stumble into friendships, why couldn't he?

Deciding to unpack his things later, Kurt walked down the narrow stairs and walked cautiously down the hallway. He had no idea where the kitchen even was in the house. It might have been run down, but it was huge. He eventually found it and was surprised to see that it was in good shape.

Seeing him look over the room, Meg laughed, "I started renovating the downstairs. Like I said, the Puckerman boy is going to help with everything else. I'm hoping to have this done by the end of the summer. The rest of my houses are selling out. This one, not so much."

He nodded and sat on a stool by the higher table.

"I hope you don't mind, I made some salmon and rice. Your Dad said you were pretty healthy, so I wasn't sure if that meant only bean sprouts and water or…"

Kurt forced a small laugh, "This is perfect. You didn't have to go out of your way."

Meg sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You really had a tough time, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kurt, I didn't go out of my way to make you dinner. I wanted to do it, okay?" she picked at her food slightly. "You can talk to me, you know. Just because we don't have a computer screen between us, I'm still the same person."

Kurt sighed and pushed his rice around his plate. He knew he could talk to her, but she didn't really know. She didn't know the way it was. She didn't know that people were constantly telling him that one day people were going to accept him and that one day he'd be better than everyone who pushed him down. He believed it because he had seen the videos and heard the words. But that didn't change the fact that the past four years of his life had been complete and utter hell. He only had one anchor in the storm, and now she was out living her life. He was one slur or shove from completely losing it.

He pushed some more food into his mouth and instantly felt the churning of his body rejecting it. He wanted to tell his Aunt. He wanted her to know what he'd put up with for the past four years, the last two especially, but it was something she truly would not understand. He wanted someone, anyone, his age that he could talk to – someone who would understand.

But he didn't even know another person who was curious, let alone out of the closet and truly proud to be who they were.

Meg stood and grabbed his plate, "I can tell you aren't going to eat anything else. Why don't you go to sleep? We can chat tomorrow. You start in the afternoon, so take a late morning, okay? The boys are coming to start painting but I'm sure they will joke around for half of the day so they won't wake you up."

Kurt nodded, "Thank you. Goodnight."

"And Kurt?"

He turned and looked at her and for the first time realized how much she was like his father. Sure, she was younger than he was by many years (an "uh-oh" baby as his father had always joked), but she had the same caring eyes and easygoing demeanor. "If you need anything please let me know."

Kurt nodded and went back through the house, not questioning himself. The house already felt like a sort of safe haven for him. He was intrigued about it, even though he also hated living somewhere that seemed so dated.

Kurt quickly showered and changed before crawling into bed. He had no one to text until he fell asleep, so he simply pulled up a book on his phone to distract him and read until his eyes were too heavy and he fell into a restful sleep.

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><p>When morning came, Kurt was only slightly confused about where he was. It took him a few seconds, but the slight sense of happiness that followed made him feel alive.<p>

One thought prevailed above all others: he was out of Lima.

Sure, it was not where he had planned to be, but it was somewhere other than the place that had held him prisoner for too long. Kurt decided that from that moment on, he would make a proactive change in his life.

Maybe the fact that he had been so sad for so long was not due to others, but due to the fact that he was looking at the world incorrectly.

He turned his music on quietly, dancing along as the sounds of Wicked filled the room. He opened his curtains and the door to the widow's walk and felt the warm sunlight hit his skin. Contrary to popular belief, he did not sleep in silk pajamas of matching tops and bottoms. Instead, he wore only a pair of work out flannel pants. He knew his chest was practically glowing in the sunlight, but he was naturally pale.

For a few seconds, his own insecurities didn't bother him. He was going to make a name for himself. No longer would he be the shy, gay kid that was a punching bag and nothing else. Instead, he would be Kurt Hummel – the boy with everything to live for and nothing to hold him back.

If only he knew how to be that.

"Someone looks like he's having a good afternoon!" a low voice said.

Kurt jumped and covered his bare chest with his pillow, "Who's there?" he peered toward the door of his bathroom, terrified of who would jump out. Had they followed him here?

"Behind you," the voice was warmer now, with a slight laugh.

Kurt turned and kept the pillow in front of him. He nearly dropped it when he saw a boy standing, barely clothed, in front of the door. "Who are you?"

The boy wore only cut off jeans and a pair of sneakers. He had curly black hair that blew slightly in the breeze off of the ocean. Kurt tried to focus only on his face but could not help but look slightly lower. The boy had the most beautiful set of abs Kurt had ever seen in person, even if they were the only abs he had seen in person. There was a smudge of pink paint over his shoulder and Kurt then saw the roller in his hand.

He was one of the people doing construction on the house.

"H-how did you get up there?" Kurt moved closer as he tried to grab a shirt without dropping the pillow. He tried not to imagine this beautiful boy walking through his room while he was sleeping.

What if he had been drooling?

What if he had been talking in his sleep?

Kurt shook his head to clear it of those thoughts. He was not _allowed_ to think like that about boy that was actually in front of him. Besides, he looked no different from the boys who made his life hell. He probably would refuse to come to work on the house tomorrow simply because Kurt lived there.

The boy shuffled to the side to reveal a ladder, "Don't worry, I didn't peek in on you, sleeping beauty."

Kurt had his shirt and was shuffling backwards toward his bathroom, "If you'll just excuse me for one minute…just one minute!" He ran into the room and closed the door quickly, trying to catch his breath. There was a gorgeous man standing not even ten feet away and he was shirtless and dancing when he saw them.

Suddenly Kurt felt like a bigger nerd than ever.

He tried to calm down his blush and opened the door. "I'm sorry," he said quietly before coughing to clear his throat, "I'm sorry about that."

The boy was painting now, right outside of his door, "It's fine. Now I'm underdressed though," he motioned to himself, "I hope you don't mind."

Kurt moved closer to the boy now, wanting to see all of him. It was probably a bad idea he realized as he truly got to look at him. His skin was tan, but Kurt could already see the beginning stages of sunburn on his shoulders and nose. His eyes were a beautiful mixture of hazel and green that Kurt couldn't name but he wanted to stare mindlessly into. "I'm Kurt," he eventually said as an excuse for his staring.

"Blaine," the boy reached out his hand and gripped Kurt's tightly. For that, Kurt was grateful. Too many people weakly shook his hand because they thought he couldn't handle it or they just refused to shake his hand at all.

Kurt realized that his staring was probably getting awkward for the boy so he took a step back, "Well, it's nice to meet you. I um, I'm going to go get some breakfast now."

"Have a good day," the boy, _Blaine_, said with a genuine smile.

"You too," Kurt squeaked before running out of the room and down the stairs. Normally he would not leave his room without getting dressed but he could not fathom getting dressed with the gorgeous boy mere feet from him.

Kurt ran the entire way to the kitchen where he saw Meg leaning against the table with a coffee in her hand, "In a hurry? Don't be. Emma called and said she has to run to New York to pick up some dresses. You're free for the rest of the day."

Kurt was glad to hear that because as much as he wanted to get his life here started, the morning was already enough movement and action for him. Besides, he had slept in to nearly 1 and that would make him late already.

"There was a painter outside on my widow's walk," Kurt said, trying to catch his breath, "it scared me."

Meg put her cup down, "It must be that new boy. I told Puck to stay away from there while you were sleeping."

"No!" Kurt held his hands up, "he didn't wake me up, but when I woke up he was there." He was babbling, so he snapped his mouth shut and grabbed a mug for coffee.

She looked at him for a few seconds, "Was it the tan, good looking one? Curly hair?"

"Yes," Kurt said softly.

"Hmmm," she shook her head and started gathering glasses, "What do you say you go take them some lemonade? It's their lunch time soon and I believe Miss Quinn has joined them as well."

"But…I'm not dressed," Kurt motioned to his pajamas.

"Well go get dressed and then report back!" His Aunt shooed him away with a smile on her face.

Kurt returned nearly a half hour later in a pair of tight white jeans and a green plaid shirt that was rolled to his elbows.

Meg surveyed his outfit, "It's a little warm for that, don't you think?"

Kurt shrugged, "I don't like shorts." He did not tell her it was because he had numerous scars from being cut by pieces of glass and metal from being thrown in dumpster.

"Okay," she handed him the heavy tray, "here is the lemonade. Make sure the boys who are working drink it before the boys who just came to shoot the shit with Puckerman."

Kurt nodded before walking out to the garden where he saw everyone gathering with lunchboxes. Apparently, they brought their own food but Meg supplied them with drinks.

Kurt looked at the group of men – 4 of them – and immediately wanted to run. They all had huge muscles and Kurt immediately felt like he was back in high school.

"I-I uhm, I brought you lemonade," he stammered quietly and placed the tray on the table.

"You Meg's nephew?" a boy with a Mohawk asked.

Kurt felt himself shrink under the boy's glare. He looked like he could cause quite a few bruises on Kurt's body. "Y-yes."

The boy wiped his hand on a cloth and stuck it out, "Noah Puckerman, but everyone calls me Puck."

Kurt shook his hand tightly, "I'm Kurt."

"Good to meet you Kurt," Puck motioned to the boys, "that one with the lips is Sam, this here is Mike, and Curly Sue here is Blaine –he's the one who took your spot in our house, you can commence beating his ass anytime you want."

Kurt was stunned that all of the boys smiled and waved to him.

"Hiya Kurt, nice to see you dressed this time," Blaine winked and continued nibbling on a corner of a sandwich.

Puck made a face at Blaine but said nothing.

Kurt bit back a whimper – they were making fun of him.

"Don't worry, they're just playing," a soft voice said. A blonde girl in a red polka dot sundress smiled at him, "I'm Quinn, I take care of these oafs."

Kurt smiled at her but did not quite believe what she said. In his experience, teenage girls had the ability to overlook men being mean by thinking it was just how they were supposed to act. Still, Quinn seemed nice and caring; perhaps she could be a friend to him while he was in Cape May.

"It's nice to meet you all," Kurt said, "Can I get you anything else?" he watched as Quinn went over and sat next to Blaine on the stone bench. He hated the way she leaned into him.

"Actually, do you have any sunscreen?" Quinn asked hopefully, "Blainers here is getting a little sunburn."

"My name is not Blainers," he said lightly.

"Would you prefer Sugar Pops? Baby Bugga Boo? Cutie Patootie? Dream boat?" She laughed and shook her head, "Fine, Blaine is getting a little red do you have any sunscreen?"

Kurt bit his lip to stop himself from screaming. Of course, the one person he thought he might form a friendship with would be dating the most dangerously attractive man Kurt had ever seen, not to mention the only "real" person that had ever given Kurt butterflies. Kurt remembered his comment from a few minutes before and resolved not to like someone who made fun of him the second time they talked. "I'm not sure, I'll go check." Kurt turned on his heel and walked quickly back to the house, not even bothering to get the tray.

"Do they need anything?" Meg asked while sorting through some papers, a pencil tucked into her ponytail.

Kurt was already half way up the steps, "Yeah, can you take them some sunscreen? Blainers needs some." With that, he slammed his door and locked it using the skeleton key he had found. He shut the door and window to the widow's walk and sat down on the bed with his sketchpad.

He didn't come out until the next morning.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think!<strong>


	2. Out of my Reach

**I'm so glad so many of you like this so far! Here's chapter 2!  
><strong>

**Chapter 2**

Kurt awoke the next morning still in his clothes from the day before. He had never had a hangover, but he assumed that what he was feeling was on par with that. He would be early for work, but decided that he needed to get out of the house. He was supposed to be starting his new life – how would hiding away help his cause?

Before dressing, he checked the widow's walk to make sure there were no surprises, men, or pee balloons waiting for him. To his relief, the widow's walk was clear of anything except a seagull, which flew away as soon as he opened the door. Kurt glanced at the beach; his father would surely think him strange if he knew that he had not been to the beach yet. It just didn't look like something he wanted to do. There was shopping down by the promenade though, and that looked more than appealing to him.

However, he needed money first, and that would require him to get to work and keep his job.

He dressed quickly in what he assumed would be an appropriate outfit for his first day at the shop: black jeans that weren't obscenely tight but still fashionable, a light blue shirt, and a black vest. He was not completely happy with the outfit, but he didn't want to come on too strong for his first day.

Before he had left Ohio, he had gone on a mini-shopping spree with the money he received from his family for graduation. In high school, he had originally dressed in a way more suited to his personality, but he soon realized that the clothes brought more attention to him and he quickly went back to baggy jeans and hoodies. Now he was back in the clothes he wanted to wear, but he had to slowly work his way toward the more ostentatious clothing.

Kurt grabbed his sewing kit and workbag before descending the stairs and looking around for his Aunt.

"Someone left his cave," she murmured through a piece of duct tape she was using on the frame of the door.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly before clearing his throat, "I guess I was more tired from the trip than I originally thought."

She nodded, "Well you aren't due at Emma's until twelve. Things are quieter around here than at home. The tourists won't start pouring in until then so you can go out to the beach of something. I have to run around and collect rent from those hooligans."

"The boys from yesterday?" Kurt asked, trying to sound disinterested.

"Yeah, they all live in the same house – the one you were supposed to live in…"

Kurt thanked something for life's little miracles.

"But I want to get the rent out of them before they come and start working again this afternoon. I gave that curly haired one a talking to about waking you up yesterday when I gave him some sun block. Honestly, you would think that kid didn't have any manners."

Kurt groaned, the boys would really hate him now – his life was about to become hell again, "I told you that you didn't have to do that," he muttered, "I shouldn't have slept that late."

She shrugged, "It happened, and he knows better now." She moved out of the way, "but go out and get some sunshine please, you're starting to glow."

"I am not!" It burst through his lips before he even knew what he was saying.

"Kurt, you're a new shade of white," she joked with her arm swooping him out of the house, "Go! I'm sure if you walk around on the beach or something, you could meet some really nice people. Or there is a coffee place down on Ocean Avenue, right across from the information center."

Kurt was never one to turn down coffee, so he decided he could at least get closer to the beach without actually going on it.

The walk took longer than he thought it would, and the morning sun was already warm enough to make him sweat a bit. The streets were easy enough for him to navigate because they were simply numbered and then named after flowers. He knew that if he just walked in the direction of the ocean, he would eventually end up on Ocean Avenue.

He arrived on Ocean Avenue and stepped up on the small cement platform that overlooked the beach. He realized that the sparkling was not bits of glass like what he had anticipated, but rather tiny stones that pebbled the otherwise soft sand. It surprised him because he never knew of sand to have stone in it: shells, yes, but never stones. He cradled the sand in his palm before dropping it back down and glanced toward the water. It too was sparkling, and he thought he could make out the sharp points of dolphin fins breaking the water in the distance. The beach itself was alive with people. There were a few families there already with bright umbrellas and radios. More people were running by the water's edge including a group of lifeguards that would occasionally lose a member due to their station. The volleyball courts were empty, but Kurt could see they were well loved and it would not take much time for them to be filled with players.

He was about to walk down the other side of the street that was filled with shops and carried the smell of fudge, coffee, and donuts until he heard a bunch of laughter. He turned instinctively to see a group of about ten children walking down the promenade with two adults. Kurt squinted against the sun to try to see the people that had that many children, and he jumped slightly when he realized he recognized them.

The woman in the hot pink shorts and white t-shirt was Quinn, who was leading a little boy by the hand down the cement structure. The man was Blaine. Kurt couldn't help but appraise his outfit (red shorts and a navy V-neck) and let his mind cloud for a few seconds before jumping off the promenade and crossing the street quickly, if not illegally, to avoid being seen.

He crossed and immediately walked quickly to the coffee shop that he had spotted called "Coffee Tyme." The bells sounded as he walked into the tiny, warm shop. There were a few customers but not many. Most of these people looked to be town regulars and glanced at Kurt for a few seconds before returning to their own coffees and conversation. He walked forward tentatively, not quite sure what he wanted to order. The menu had every type of flavor and concoction that Kurt had ever heard of.

"Hi!" the tiny girl behind the counter enthused, "What can I get you?"

Kurt bit his lip, "What do you suggest?"

The girl's brown eyes widened, "Oh! I don't…I don't really know. I'm sorry, I'm new here! I'm only here to make money for my freshman year at the Tisch School at NYU." She motioned to the jar bedazzled with tiny gold stars and fake pink rhinestones. "I don't even really know how to make half of this stuff," she said in a tiny voice.

Kurt couldn't help but give her a genuine smile, "How about I just get ice coffee with vanilla?" He wondered how she got a job if she couldn't make the coffee, but he didn't have the guts to ask.

"That's perfect," she hit a few buttons on the register before collecting his money. "Can I have your name?"

"Kurt."

She smiled and wrote it on his cup and started working on the drink, "I'm Rachel," she offered, "Where are you travelling from?"

Kurt felt his skin grow red at the thought of being caught as an "out of towner" as Meg called them, "I'm originally from Lima, Ohio but I just moved here." He didn't like small talk usually, but this girl seemed to be genuinely interested in others.

She slid his cup across the small table, "Ohio? What made you move out?"

Kurt shrugged, "Life."

She seemed to understand that he didn't really want to discuss his personal life with her. "Well, I'll see you around Kurt. If you ever need anything I always work mornings."

Kurt nodded and was about to leave when he caught sight of the herd of children directly across the street. He couldn't see the curly haired boy or Quinn, but he knew they were around. Kurt quickly sat on one of the stools by the window and watched the group.

The kids were all putting brightly colored helmets on; some of the old kids were helping the younger kids.

Blaine walked toward the group carrying two bikes and handing them off to what appeared to be the oldest children in the group. Quinn had bikes for the other bigger kids. Kurt wondered what the younger children would do.

Blaine walked up next pushing a bike that adult sized. He picked up the smallest boy and strapped him into the seat on the back. Quinn was arranging three of the girls on the surrey that she eventually sat in.

The group started moving slowly, some of the kids were a bit wobbly on the bikes. Kurt wondered what exactly the group was. Did Blaine and Quinn moonlight as camp counselors? Foster parents? Soccer coaches?

He didn't realize he wasn't alone until a voice spoke at his side, "You staring at Quinn? She's very pretty." Rachel said matter-of-factly as she wiped up a spill on the counter. "Her boyfriend is a complete jerk though."

Kurt tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest when he realized that Rachel was talking about Blaine, "Really? Why?"

Rachel leaned against the counter and gazed at the pair, "He just thinks he's better than everyone else. He's good looking, so he thinks he can get away with everything. We went to high school together," she explained, "Cape May High School was terrorized by him on a daily basis. He used to throw spit balls in my salads."

Kurt sympathized, "At least your school didn't have slushies, I have so many stained pairs of jeans that it's ridiculous."

"Slushies ? Like the iced drink?" Rachel's eyes were comically large in disbelief when Kurt nodded in affirmation, "I thought Michelle Obama got rid of those in high schools?"

"That would have been the intelligent thing for our school to do," Kurt said easily. He was surprised how easy it was to talk to the tiny girl. She had everything Kurt wanted so he should hate her, but he felt an immediate kinship with her. "But since when were schools smart? I'm glad to be out," he laughed a little, "sorry…didn't mean to vent."

She put an affectionate hand on her shoulder, not noticing when he jumped at the contact, "So you graduated? Where are you going in the fall?"

Kurt felt his mood fall again, "I'm not. I decided to take a year off before college," the lie slipped easily from his lips, "I wanted to find myself first."

She nodded, "Absolutely. I know who I am and what I want, but if I didn't I know I would take the year off."

Kurt nodded but remained silent, his eyes trained to Blaine who was now further away and helping a little boy stay up on his bike.

"Where are you working this summer?" Rachel asked, not getting Kurt's desire to be left alone with his thoughts.

"The Victorian Dress Shop. It's a huge pink building."

"Oh! That's Emma Pillsbury's shop! She is the guidance counselor at my school during the school year. Well, was," Rachel's eyes lit up at the thought, "she's really nice. Her husband made my high school years tolerable with glee club."

Kurt smiled and shook his empty cup, "That's great Rachel. I'll see you around?" he really hoped he would. He didn't want his negative attitude to ruin a potential friendship.

"Of course! Like I said, I'm here every morning."

Kurt waved and walked out of the coffee shop. He still had some time to kill so he walked through the promenade shopping center. Many of the stores were simply gimmicky stores to attract tourists, but there was an art gallery that he wanted to visit and a few bookstores that boasted great sales and plentiful selection. Of course there were the typical t-shirt shops and souvenir things that he needed to send his father, but that would be for a later date. The promenade itself was beautiful with cobblestones, fountains, and flowers everywhere.

Eventually, he made his way through the streets of Victorian houses that were mostly converted into bed and breakfasts toward the store. Some of the homes were now galleries and boutiques, and Kurt mentally planned his summer mornings as he walked.

He picked up the pace when he saw the gorgeous pink and white house in the distance. It was immaculately painted and landscaped. The sign in the front wasn't missing any pain, and Kurt couldn't help but wonder if Noah and some of his friends had worked on this house as well.

He walked up the slightly steep front steps and into the converted house.

"Coming," a high voice yelled before walking into the hallway. She was a pretty woman with wide eyes and a very matchy-matchy fashion sense.

Kurt held out his hand, "Nice to meet you Ms. Pillsbury, I'm Kur…"

"Oh! You must be Kurt!" she leaned in and hugged him.

Kurt tried not to tense but couldn't help his automatic reactions. If the woman noticed, she said nothing as we chattered away about the house.

"My husband and I live upstairs of course. But the majority of the work you'll be doing will be in this side room. You said in your application that you specialize in detailing? Well, later in the early evening I have a dress being delivered from New Orleans that needs a lot of beading help. I've ordered the beads, but I don't think my fingers can handle it."

Kurt nodded, "I love beading," he offered.

She nodded, "Good! You'll get your own little area so you can pretty much do what you want as long as you keep it clean. I run the store on the right side of the house so people will come and go throughout the day but you'll only have to interact with them when we have nothing to fix. I have everything organized in the room and it's all pretty simple. Right now I can show you how to work the store part because the delivery won't be here until later. Any questions?"

Kurt shook his head. He hoped the dress would arrive today because he had no idea what he would do until eight if it didn't.

"Oh, and the air conditioning in broke right now so you might want to dress a little cooler from now on."

The day passed quickly but hotly. Emma told him it would be warm, but she didn't tell him that he would literally be sweating off all of his skin creams in the first few hours of work. When it was time for him to go to lunch, he was thrilled to go walk around and look for a place outside to eat. Even sitting in the direct sunlight was a relief.

He loved the job though. Since it was still the off season technically, Emma had him organizing fabric bundles in the back room and sorting the new beads by size and color. It was painstaking and Kurt was sure he'd need glasses one day, but it was worth it.

Kurt eventually found a small park right behind the promenade to eat his lunch (which was actually more of a dinner, it being nearly 5). There was a huge gazebo in the back and because there was no one there, he ate happily using the bench to sit and to eat. He watched the early vacationers unpack their cars, the squirrels running around in the small section of grass, and the delivery trucks to the stores. Kurt was amazed at how slow the town moved though so much was going on.

He walked back to the shop quickly, wanting to get back to work setting up for the dress. When he walked into the store, he immediately saw the back of a curly haired boy in red shorts and a navy shirt. He was holding a clipboard and motioning toward a huge box beside him.

"Kurt! This is the dress, Blaine just dropped it off. I asked him if he could gently," Emma looked at Blaine intently on that word, "help you put it on the dress mannequin. He said it was rather heavy."

Blaine turned and smiled widely at Kurt, "Hey Kurt! You're looking…dressed today."

Kurt blushed furiously but bit at the side of his cheek so he wouldn't say anything back. From what Rachel told him, Kurt just figured that Blaine liked to get a rise out of anyone he could in order to start some trouble – why else would he be acting nice to Kurt?

Kurt may have been shy, but he could see right through people.

"That would be great," he said lamely, not quite meeting Emma's eye.

Blaine just stared at him oddly. Kurt supposed her should have said hello back, but that would only be playing into Blaine's tricks.

Kurt would win this one.

Emma motioned toward the box, "I have to go make sure Will's eating, but I'll be back down in a few. Please do be careful with it," Kurt could tell she wanted to stay but also that she wanted to give Kurt some independence to see what he could really do.

"We'll be fine, go!"

She smiled and quickly ran up the steps, but not before throwing a few looks over her shoulder at the pair of boys and the dress box.

"Okay, so how do you want to do this? This thing is really freaking heavy," Blaine looked at the box and sighed, "I nearly broke my back getting it in this place."

Kurt stared at the boy and questions swirled in his head, but once again he bit his cheek. Now was not the time to make enemies. "Let's just lift it into the next room over."

Blaine crouched down and lifted the box up, using the middle as leverage.

"I thought you needed my help?" Kurt asked, an annoyed tinge to his voice.

Blaine ignored the tone, "Which room?"

Kurt sighed and walked toward the room he would be working in, "Over here. I could have done this."

Blaine set the box on the floor and started reaching into his pocket; when he pulled his hand out, a large pocketknife rested in his palm.

Kurt jumped back almost immediately, "W-what are you doing with that?"

Blaine glanced at Kurt and his gaze changed, "I'm sorry. I didn't...I didn't want to scare you. I'm just opening the box."

"You didn't scare me," Kurt snapped as he took a few steps backwards, "I just…wanted you to be careful. That dress is worth a lot of money."

"So I've been told," Blaine muttered loud enough under his breath so that Kurt could hear. He swiftly opened the box and motioned for Kurt to come closer, "this is the part I don't know about."

Kurt looked down at the faded crushed velvet and nearly squealed. It was beautiful and though he knew it would be killer to bead the bodice, it would be worth it. The dress itself was on a dress form, but the transfer would take some work.

Kurt looked at Blaine who was studying the dress, running a finger softly over the velvet. "We need to be as gentle as possible," Kurt said in a hushed voice, his eyes trailing over Blaine's hand and arm.

Blaine nodded, "I can be gentle."

Kurt cleared his throat and stood, "Okay, just secure the left shoulder and I'll grab the right. You'll have to use the waist as leverage. Please don't rip it," the last part came out as a whine, but he needed Blaine to know how important it was.

Blaine nodded and together they lifted the dress off the form and moved away from the box.

"Can't you lift it any higher?" Kurt looked at the train of the dress trailing on the floor on Blaine's side.

"No," Blaine stood on tiptoes and lifted it a fraction higher before allowing Kurt to lead him toward the form.

Kurt was amazed at how heavy the dress actually was, it probably weighed more than any he'd ever felt. But what amazed him more was how gentle Blaine was in moving the dress. His hands smoothed down over the sides when it was finally situated.

Blaine moved away, "That's an awfully heavy dress to wear."

"Fashion is pain," Kurt was already sticking pins into the dress where he would have to make changes to the fabric.

Blaine shook his head, "Well have a good night," he said somewhat tightly.

"Bye," Kurt echoed, wanting the boy to leave before he could make fun of him again.

Blaine grabbed a bag on the floor that Kurt hadn't noticed him carrying on the way in, "Hey…I know you really don't want me here, but do you have a bathroom I can change in? I really need to be at work in like...five minutes."

Kurt wanted to question Blaine, but nodded his head toward a short door in the corner, "Over there."

"Thank you," Blaine moved toward the corner room and Kurt heard rustling but tried not to think about what was going on in the room. He needed to focus on the task at hand.

Blaine emerged not even three minutes later dressed in a pair of khakis and a light green shirt with a bowtie.

Again, Kurt asked no questions.

"Well…bye," Blaine said awkwardly.

"Bye," Kurt mumbled around a mouthful of pins.

O0o0o0o

Kurt didn't leave until nearly ten that night. Emma had told him that he could, but he wanted to at least get the mock up of the dress done so he could start beading. He hadn't thought about the walk home, however.

Kurt knew realistically that he would be fine. Still, he hated walking alone at night because that screamed the making of a Lifetime movie about his life. He could see it now: Kurt Hummel finally broke away from home only to be killed walking home from making a dress.

He made sure to steer clear of everyone who walked by, even people with little children – one could never be too cautious.

He was nearing the end of the first block and he had already talked himself into being freaked out. That was when he saw the silhouette of a man walking toward him. The man was short, but Kurt could tell he had muscles and could probably do serious harm.

Kurt's heartbeat kept up, but he kept his head down as he walked quickly toward the man.

"Kurt?" a soft voice asked.

Kurt's head snapped up, "Blaine?" The boy looked different – he had his hair greased down and the curls where nowhere to be found. "You look different…"

"I have to do this for work," Blaine pointed to his head.

"Exactly how many jobs do you have?" Kurt blurted out.

Blaine bit his lip and shrugged, "About 5. I'm hoping to get more but the job market is tough."

The story immediately flooded Kurt's brain: Blaine was mad at the world and beat up unsuspecting gay kids and slushied glee club members because his family was poor and he needed to work to afford to live.

"Oh," Kurt shook his head, "That's a lot."

Blaine shrugged, "I do what I have to. Do you – do you want me to walk you back to Meg's? This is a safe town but I know how freaked out I get when I walk alone…"

"No," Kurt said a little more loudly than he intended to, "I can take care of myself, thanks."

Blaine looked down at his shoes and then nodded, "Okay. I just thought I'd offer."

Kurt nodded and started walking away quickly.

"Kurt?" Blaine's voice sounded timid.

"Yes?" He turned to look at the boy who was quickly working the gel out of his hair with his hand.

"I'm sorry about that day on the widow's walk. I didn't mean to wake you or anything, I promise. Your Aunt already told me about it, but I figured I'd offer you my apologies. I know you weren't comfortable with it." Blaine scratched at the back of his neck.

Kurt felt like something hit him in the stomach, "I forgive you," he said with a little more sincerity in his voice, "It wasn't a big deal to me anyway."

Blaine nodded, "Have a good night."

Kurt watched as the boy walked away. He didn't trust Blaine as far as he could throw him but something in his apology rang true. Kurt shook the thoughts from his head; he knew Blaine's type, and there was definitely an ulterior motive to what he was doing.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for reading! :)<strong>


	3. Bonfire

**Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long, but it's here! Thank you for your comments, I want to know what the rest of you think!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Kurt spent the rest of his week pricking his fingers and placing beads upon beads on the dress. It was nowhere near finished, but it was his masterpiece. Emma couldn't believe his work, and gushed on and on to anyone who would listen, tourists who were shopping or who were lost, that Kurt belonged somewhere else and not in a tourist city.

Kurt couldn't have agreed more.

He was hoping Emma would let him photograph it and put it into his portfolio if the colleges let him reapply. He hadn't heard from any of them yet, not that he expected to – it just would have been nice.

He hadn't really seen any of the boys from around town since Blaine offered to walk him home. Kurt usually stayed late at work to finish the dress that had captured his attention. He didn't really want to see the boys; he was no more lonely in Cape May than he was in Lima, though he somehow felt safer in this town than at home. It warmed his heart to see families together shopping, swimming, and just having a great time. He always thought it would be depressing to live in a tourist town, but it was exactly the opposite.

Still, he was lonely. In Lima he at least had Mercedes, and Rachel didn't feel like a valid replacement for her. Kurt still went every morning to get coffee and perhaps spy on a certain couple, but the conversations were usually stilted and left Kurt feeling even worse about his position in the world.

The long weekend lingered in front of Kurt. He didn't have to work on weekends and he had planned on asking Rachel what she was doing, but he found out that she was going up the coast on Saturday with a few friends to visit a younger town. She had offered to bring him along, but he had declined knowing he probably wouldn't fit in with her friends.

Emma closed the shop at noon on Fridays, leaving Kurt to walk home in the most blistering of the heat. Though only early June, Global Warming was leaving Cape May a full fifteen degrees warmer than it usually was.

Kurt walked quickly and through the shaded streets to get to Meg's house. The two had formed a routine, but this was his first Friday home and he had no idea what his aunt did over the weekend.

Drink?

Sleep?

Swim?

Chores?

Even though he knew it made him seem boring, he hoped she would give him something to do so he wouldn't be so bored. He knew he wanted to check out the shopping promenade and maybe pick up some books, but that wouldn't be enough to last him all weekend.

Kurt walked up to the house and spotted the boys building a new fence around the yard. They had completed painting on Wednesday, and the house now stood out on the block, making the other houses seem faded and older.

"Hey Kurt!" Puck (Kurt had now been conditioned to call him that) called from his crouched position. Mike was applying something to the fence post slowly, but he lifted one hand to wave.

The boys all seemed to be nice enough, except Blaine. Kurt still didn't know how he felt about Blaine at all. Rachel continually went on about how horrible of a person he was and how she never wanted to see him again, though she was quick to look out of the window with him in the mornings.

"Hey Kurt!" Blaine was suddenly in front of him, breathless and sweaty, "I finally just finished putting the new glass on your Widow's Walk..."

"Fifth time you tried," Puck said with a smirk. "I should take from your pay!"

Blaine visibly blushed even though his cheeks were once again tinted with sunburn. Kurt wanted to yell at him and give him sunscreen, but he let it go. "Hey, I told you I never did that before!" Blaine said it in a joking tone, but it didn't meet his eyes.

Kurt sidestepped the sweaty boy, "Well, thank you, Blaine," he said curtly.

Blaine's shoulders slumped but he turned his grinning face to Kurt, "No problem. Let's hope I didn't eat up all my paycheck." He stalked off to the backyard quickly, his head low as he pace quickened to almost a run.

"Is he okay?" Kurt looked over to Quinn. Quinn still hadn't become his friend, but Rachel said she was a sweet girl who just fell in with the wrong type of boy.

Quinn shrugged, "He's had a rough couple of days I guess. I don't really know."

Kurt tried not to feel too badly for Blaine – he knew Quinn was probably just covering for him. He kept asking Rachel what made Blaine and Quinn a terrible match, but Rachel never quite told him the real reason.

Kurt felt the back of his shirt dampen as the sun continued to get higher. If he didn't get into the house soon, he knew he would burn. "Well...I'm going in," he said to no one in particular.

"Bye Kurt!" Quinn lay back onto her towel and continued basking in the sun. Kurt wanted to warn her as well, but figured she and Blaine would make a great matching set of leather handbags in the future.

Kurt walked through the door to find Meg vacuuming the front hallway. "Need any help?" he asked over the roar of the vacuum, trying to push his voice to its limits.

She shook her head, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the big bonfire tonight?"

Kurt looked at her blankly – he hadn't heard of any bonfire nor did he know why she thought he would actually go to it.

"It's a tradition for the kids living here all summer. It means good luck if you go and throw a beer can into the fire," she shut the vacuum off and started gathering the cord, "I assume you want good luck this summer."

"What kind of tradition is that?" Kurt raised an eyebrow as he maneuvered around the woman to get into the kitchen, "People getting drunk? Count me out, sounds like the perfect place for someone to throw me into the fire." Kurt finally found himself comfortable enough with Meg to talk around her again. Neither commented on the change, but both felt more at ease knowing it had happened. He trailed the end of his comment as he walked out of her line of sight.

The only problem with now being able to communicate with Meg without a computer screen was that she now wanted to make him have an actual summer instead of just working like he wanted to.

She followed him into the kitchen, "You know it would be good for you to go out and do something, make yourself some friends. You can't go through life alone Kurt. Your dad is worried about you and so am I."

Kurt hated when they talked about him without his knowledge. He knew he was shy and had no friends, but maybe he liked it that way. Maybe it meant that they couldn't walk away and live their own lives without thinking about him like Mercedes did. "I don't need friends," he reasoned as he poured himself some lemonade, "I'm doing fine on my own."

"You've been here a week," Meg deadpanned, "don't you think you're going to get bored?"

"No."

"Go to the bonfire, Kurt. I'm sure Puck and his gang are all going, tag along with them." Meg grabbed the lemonade and poured it into several glasses.

"Let me guess," Kurt stood and brushed the imaginary lint off of his shorts, "you want me to take that out to them in hopes that they'll invite me to the bonfire, and I'll go because it's easier to say no to you than it is to them."

Meg set the tray down a little forcefully, causing the lemonade to splash over the edges of the cups, "Kurt…you can't live like that."

Kurt grabbed the trays, "I'll go if they invite me, but I'm not going by myself. That's pathetic."

Meg nodded and moved her arm with a flourish, "Just please do this, Kurt."

Kurt carried the lemonade outside. The group was smaller than usual, just Puck, Mike, Quinn, and, of course, Blaine.

"Here's some lemonade," Kurt said quietly to Blaine, who just happened to be the first person he walked into.

"Thank you, Mademoiselle," Blaine said as he grabbed a cup with his pinky sticking out at a strange angle.

Kurt's grip on the tray tightened. Did this boy have to make fun of him constantly? "You're welcome," he said through clenched teeth.

"Mademoiselle is for a girl, Blaine," Quinn laughed as she grabbed a cup. She turned to Kurt and rolled her eyes, "ignore him, please."

Blaine colored again but just bit his lip instead of saying anything. Kurt tried to not let it hurt his pride, "It's fine," Kurt said quietly, not raising his eyes.

Puck took the final cup off of the tray, "Hey Kurt, what are you doing tonight? You should come down to the beach for the bonfire."

Kurt had almost forgotten his promise to Meg, "I don't know…"

"Come on, we'll be there and it will be great," Puck downed the lemonade in one drink, "you can bring that Berry chick you're always with."

Kurt thought about it for a minute. He hadn't really thought about brining Rachel, and she could tell him more about the people in the town. In truth, Kurt really did want to have more friends. He'd thought about it, and these people didn't know him. Sure, he wasn't going to tiptoe back into the closet and hide there – but this was a different town. Sure, the demographics were practically the same as Lima, but still this was new. Part of him hoped that these people would look past his sexuality and look at him for who he was. Maybe this could be the start of his new leaf.

"Okay," he said simply with a nod. He'd have to call Rachel and ask her, but he knew she would say yes. He didn't know her that long, but he knew she didn't have many friends either. She seemed generally liked, but she didn't have close friends around her. She swore that was because she was destined to be a star, but Kurt could see how her personality could get grating after awhile.

Kurt walked into the house and dropped the tray onto the table, making a huge show of pulling his phone out and dialing Rachel.

"Hey Kurt!" Rachel's voice was chipper and excited even over the phone, "Did you change your mind about going up the shore?"

Kurt walked through the house looking for Meg so she could hear him, "No, I was actually wondering if you were going to the bonfire tonight. My Aunt is trying to talk me into it, as are Puck, Blaine and those boys so I kind of wanted to know if you wanted to go. I don't want to go alone and I want to know someone…" he rambled for awhile before realizing how long he'd been going on. "I'm sorry. I was just...will you go?"

Rachel was silent for a few seconds before sighing, "Kurt...that isn't the best place for people like us. They all get drunk and throw cans in the fire…people fight a lot and it just isn't a place I've ever gone. It's tradition and my dads always want me to go, but…"

Kurt sighed heavily, "I know...I just thought it would be nice to do something normal for once."

Rachel seemed to hesitate for a second, "If we go, we can only stay long enough to throw a can into the fire and then we go."

Kurt nodded before he realized that Rachel couldn't see him, "Sure, that's great…I just want to you know, go see the beach..." suddenly he was awkward again and couldn't form a complete sentence.

"Okay, we can go but I don't want to hear it if you have a bad time, Kurt." Rachel sounded happy to be going; thought Kurt would never tell her he thought that.

* * *

><p>Kurt tried to dress as inconspicuously as he could. He slipped on loose jeans that he could easily roll up if he needed to, and a hoodie. Meg had warned (in a really high pitched, happy voice) that it usually got pretty cold on the beach and a hoodie was mandatory.<p>

Kurt hadn't even been on the beach yet, so he wasn't sure if the flip flops he had would work, but he figured they would be better than sneakers.

"Do you want a blanket to wrap around you and someone special?" Meg asked with a roguish wink.

"I barely have friends let alone a boyfriend. I don't think there is another gay boy near this town," Kurt debated grabbing fingerless gloves but figured they were a bit too much for this occasion.

Meg handed him a blanket, "You never know when it'll come in handy," she said quietly, "You have to have faith Kurt."

"Thanks, but I don't know if I want to have faith in that," Kurt shot back as he grabbed the blanket.

Rachel appeared at his door in a dress, tights, and a cardigan over it. "Your house is looking beautiful, Meg."

"Thank you darling," Meg smiled at Rachel, "take care of him. It's his first time on the beach."

Rachel's mouth fell open, "Kurt, you haven't been on the beach yet? You've lived here a week!"

"I'm not the ocean type," Kurt fought back, embarrassed.

Rachel grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the house, "Well we're going to change that right now."

The walk to the beach showed Kurt just how cold the nights could really get. The wind was blowing but the sky was clear, so he knew it wasn't going to rain. Still, as they walked down the wooden walkway toward the huge fire, Kurt could feel droplets of rain on his face.

There were more teenagers around the fire than Kurt thought lived in Cape May. Music was coming from somewhere, and he thought he saw Puck holding a guitar as he passed what looked to be beer out to some other kids.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Kurt whispered as they approached. Puck apparently had invited all of his huge friends and that couldn't be good.

"We're here now, they've seen us!" Rachel said in a hushed tone, "just act normal."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Kurt linked arms with Rachel as they walked to the fire.

"Rachel Berry, your dads finally let you out of your tower," Puck said, his voice slurring, "and Kurt! It's so nice to see you! HEY EVERYONE," he threw his arms up and motioned to Kurt, "this is Meg Hummel's nephew, Kurt. He's living here this summer!"

A few people waved and others coursed "Hellos," but most people just smiled and turned back to their conversation.

"Is he drunk?" Kurt hissed as he watched Puck stumble around the fire.

"Probably," Rachel picked up a can and opened it, "you might as well drink your can so we can get out of here."

Kurt wrinkled his nose, "I have to drink it?"

"Yes," Rachel laughed as she sipped at the can. She made a bitter face, "Maybe we could just dump them out..."

Kurt cracked his own can of Bud Light and looked around to make sure no one was watching before pouring it into the sand. He only poured half and walked around, leading Rachel through the crowd.

Puck sat on a folding chair playing guitar, "Who wants to hear a song?"

A few people cheered so Puck began strumming the guitar, "This is for the most beautiful girl on all of the beach, Quinn!"

Kurt almost choked when Quinn staggered up beside him and wrapper her arms around his neck. Kurt turned to look at Rachel who just glared at the pair before shaking her head.

Kurt didn't know why, but he felt a huge rush to tell Blaine that his girlfriend was cheating on him. He told himself it was because he wanted to hurt Blaine, but in reality, he wanted to warn him. Kurt couldn't believe Quinn would cheat on someone as good looking as Blaine with someone like Puck.

"Is Blaine here?" Kurt yelled over the fire and guitar.

Rachel shrugged, "How would I know?" She chanced another sip at her beer, not making a face this time.

Kurt turned around and almost bumped into a figure, "Oh! Hi!" he said quietly.

"Hey!" Mike yelled over the fire, "I didn't think you'd actually come!"

"I said I would," Kurt mumbled, "Is anyone else here?"

"Well, you know Puck and Quinn. Sam is somewhere over there. Blaine isn't here, but I don't think you like him too much so that doesn't matter," Mike sipped his own beer before throwing it into the fire.

"You can tell that?" Kurt asked, stricken.

"You don't hide it. But it's okay, man. He's a little…strange."

"How?" Kurt couldn't help but ask.

"I don't really know," Mike shrugged, "he just is. Hard to explain."

Kurt accepted the explanation and threw his own can into the fire and wished as he watched it smoke in the fire:

"I wish this summer would lead me somewhere," he wished to himself.

Rachel leaned against Kurt and smiled at Mike, "Hello Michael. Did you know that Kurt here has never been in the ocean," she smiled widely at Kurt.

"Really?" Mike's eyes were wide as he looked at Kurt, "we should change that!"

Kurt shook his head, "No. No we shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what?" Puck asked, he hadn't noticed that the guitar had stopped.

"Kurt here has never been in the ocean."

"NEVER BEEN IN THE OCEAN?" Puck gasped, "we have to change it!"

"No!" Kurt shook his head, backing away, "We don't have to."

"Come on," Puck walked slowly toward him, "Just one little dip in the ocean."

Kurt felt himself starting to panic, "No."

Puck lunged for him, and Kurt moved out of the way at the last second. "Come on, Kurt!" Puck and Mike lifted him in their arms and started moving the roughly twenty feet toward the ocean.

Kurt struggled, "NO!"

Everyone watched and laughed as Kurt struggled to loosen their grip, even Rachel.

"Guys, please," Kurt was nearly in tears now, but he knew crying would only instigate them. "Please, no." He gave a great kick and managed to knock Puck off balance before scrambling to his feet and running up the beach, his flip flops left lying in the sand.

Kurt felt the tears spilling as he hit the cement. He walked quickly, not wanting anyone to follow him. He heard Rachel call his name a few times, but he walked in the complete opposite direction of his house to throw her off. He ended up at the promenade, his feet hurting from the little cuts.

Kurt sat on a bench and put his head in his hands. Of course this was no different from Lima. The sound of hooves alerted Kurt that he suddenly wasn't alone.

"I hope you have a great stay in Cape May!" a sweet voice said to a departing family. Kurt couldn't see who it was until he walked around the side of the great horse, "Hey Kurt…you okay?" Blaine looked down at him timidly. He was dressed in a red smoking jacket with tails, and a top hat covered his curls. Kurt could see he was sweaty and tired.

"I'm fine," Kurt snapped. He just knew if Blaine had been on the beach, he probably would be soaking wet with salt water.

Blaine allowed himself to sit on the bench, "You don't look fine."

Kurt moved over to the edge, knowing he was acting like a five year old.

"Kurt, come on, let me take you home," Blaine stood and straightened his jacket, "You obviously don't want to tell me why you're upset, but you are. At least let me take you back to your Aunt so I know you're okay."

Kurt shook his head; Blaine was probably going to take him back to the beach, "I'm okay."

"Just…" Blaine stomped his foot and breathed out heavily, "get in the damn carriage so I can take you home. Families pay a hundred dollars for this."

Kurt realized he would get rid of Blaine faster if he listened, "Fine."

Blaine held out his hand to help Kurt into the carriage but Kurt simply looked at it and hauled himself into the high vehicle.

Blaine sighed and climbed onto the front and gently got the horse to move along the cobblestones. "So how was the bonfire?" Blaine asked as he carefully maneuvered the horse through the streets.

"Awful," Kurt said through clenched teeth. He was still fighting the urge to tell Blaine about Quinn and Puck.

Blaine didn't ask any more questions, but he did offer Kurt his hand again when they arrived at the house.

Kurt thought about taking it, but jumped down on his own.

* * *

><p><strong>Review<strong>


	4. Paying the Rent

**Sorry this took so long! Real life! :(**

**Chapter 4**

Saturday brought Kurt's first day with nothing to do. He had spent the other mornings walking around Cape May and learning about the city. Even though he swore he would not, he had started to fall in love with the architecture and charm about the small town. There were so many houses that were restored to their prime condition and then painted a cotton candy color that Kurt wanted to see them all.

He was slowly becoming more comfortable in the town, though he still remained a slight bit of a loner. Meg always offered to accompany him wherever he went, but Kurt liked the idea of being alone with his thoughts and the ocean breeze.

He had even taken a walk on the beach, though managed to stay far away from the ocean. He was more comfortable in this city. His mind was allowed to wander and he wasn't constantly thinking about potential dangers. He knew that the people around him were not all good, loving people who saw the world as an amazing place, but he also knew that people were generally in a better mood while they were on vacation.

He could stand out and not seem out of place here.

Kurt walked down the steps and saw Meg attempting to dust the plants in the front foyer. "Good morning," he said as he laughed at her attempts to wipe down every leaf, "you realize they make things to do that with, right?"

"I do," she wiped off several more, "but I was waiting for you to wake up so I could give you the job I don't want to do."

Kurt fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Which would be? I'm not fishing another dead squirrel out of the pond. You'll have to wait for Puck again."

Meg put her hands on her hips, "I feed you my food, give you my bed, provide you with my love and THIS is how you repay me?" She dramatically rolled her eyes, "I cannot believe I put up with this."

Kurt leaned against the wall and watched as she pretended to cry, her shoulders heaving. "What do I have to do? It better not involve corpses."

"Go pick up the rent from the boys," she said, all signs of fake crying completely gone.

"Why don't you want to do that?" Kurt squinted his eyes, trying to figure out if Meg was up to another one of her plans.

"Because it smells like boy in there." Meg straightened her shirt, "and it is no place for a lady."

"So you make me go into the germ-infested house?" Kurt shook his head, "what if I refuse?"

"You won't," Meg said simply, "But you need to go like…now."

"I need to go get dressed!" Kurt started panicking for no reason, "I can't go looking like this!"

Meg continued dusting, "Yes. You have to look good for Blaine."

Kurt stopped dead in his tracks on the steps, "Excuse me?"

Meg's face drained, "I'm sorry…I just assumed you were going off with him when you went for walks…I didn't…"

Kurt felt the tension leave his body as he sighed – there were no rumors. "No, it's fine. He has a girlfriend, you know?"

A shadow passed over Meg's face, "He does?"

"Indeed."

Meg watched as Kurt walked up the rest of the steps, confusion still etched all over her face.

Kurt quickly pulled on a pair of tight khakis, boat shoes, and a collared shirt. He didn't want to attract too much attention from the boys.

He barreled down the stairs by Meg who was still dusting the same plant, "I'm off to the house," he called over his shoulder, "then to get coffee with Rachel!"

Meg nodded as she pulled away from the gleaming plant.

The walk to the boy's house took him nearly fifteen minutes, but he strolled along to examine the neighborhoods. The boys lived right on the very corner of the beach before it turned into the bay. The house stood on stilts and was still fairly run down.

He took in a great breath and walked toward the house, knocking briskly on the door.

Sam opened the door with a toothbrush in his mouth, "Hey Kurt! You here for the rent?"

Kurt nodded and tried not to gag. Meg was right, they did smell like boys. "I am. Is everyone home?"

Sam motioned for him to come in the house and nodded, pulling the toothbrush from his mouth and swallowing.

Kurt once again fought the urge to gag.

Sam led him through the house that was scattered with beer cans, clothes, pizza boxes, and cups. "Everyone is here. Blaine's asleep yet."

Kurt couldn't help but smile to himself – he wouldn't have to see Blaine. He still couldn't fight the slight discomfort he had around Blaine. Rachel had said he was a complete jerk and while Kurt knew Rachel was a drama queen, it still made him worry.

If Kurt were being honest, Blaine was the only part of Cape May that made him uncomfortable.

"Okay boys, pay up!" Sam threw money into Kurt's hands and continued walking through to his room.

Puck looked up from his sandwich and groaned, "Oh man. Is it that time already?"

Kurt nodded, "Sorry."

"It's not your fault man," Puck threw his sandwich to the plate, "You might as well come up with me. You're going to wake up Blaine."

"Oh…I…" Kurt stammered, "Don't you have his?"

"Nope. And he's NOT a morning person," Puck looked back at Mike who followed them silently, "Right Mike?"

Mike grinned quickly before dropping his face back to serious, "Oh totally. A real bear."

Kurt swallowed thickly – this was not what he needed. "Okay, whatever."

Puck opened his door and Kurt could smell the stale beer, cigarette smoke, and something else that he couldn't name wafting from the door. Puck's room was a complete mess but a red guitar sat untouched by the grime. His wall was adorned with half naked women that were bending over or leaning forward. "Here you go, Hummel. Pleasure doing business with your Aunt."

Kurt laughed a little before moving to Mike. Mike's room was open and though there were no odors, his room was just as messy. Kurt could see at least eight pairs of sneakers lying within the mess. He had several posters of movies that Kurt at least recognized the name of them.

"So...Blaine?" he asked nervously, "I can always come back…"

"Nah. He needs to wake up. He kept us all up last night playing that freaking guitar of his." Puck pointed to a white door, the only one not adorned with a poster, "He's in there."

Kurt turned toward the door and started walking when he heard the thundering of their feet down the steps.

Kurt knocked on the door lightly, not meeting any response. He knocked again, more loudly, but nothing happened. Sighing, Kurt pushed the door gently. He'd do it like a band-aid. He'd get the money and leave quickly.

Kurt was surprised to smell vanilla as he opened the door. He was first surprised at the cleanliness of the room. It was much smaller than the rooms of the other boys. The walls were a slate blue and the one window was filtering in sunlight. A guitar leaned against the only night stand in the room. The bed was small with a navy comforter.

But what shocked Kurt was what was lying in the bed:

A very naked Blaine.

He was on his stomach, arms wrapped around a pillow. The sunlight filtering through paned window gleamed off of his contoured back as Kurt's eyes traveled down from his messy mop of curls, his breath catching slightly. His eyes continued downward traveling the rest of Blaine's visible body, which was in fact most of it. Kurt couldn't help but notice that Blaine had a very nice ass as he paused to admire the hottest, and most beautiful, ass he had ever seen. If he had believed in a higher power, he would have believed God himself had sculpted it by hand.

Kurt squealed when he realized he was staring and grabbed the comforter that had been pushed down toward the bottom of the bed and was grazing his lightly haired thighs just below the juncture where his butt met them and threw it around Blaine's waist. If he didn't know Kurt saw him, he wouldn't get offended and do something against Kurt.

Kurt quickly shook Blaine's shoulder, trying not to pay attention to the serene look on his face and the adorable tangled curls, "Blaine! Blaine!"

Blaine's eyes opened slowly and blinked, a smile spreading out along his face, "Kurt?"

"Yeah...I um, I'm here for the rent?" Kurt grinned back weakly.

Blaine's arms snapped down around his waist, grabbing at the blanket. He sighed in relief when he seemingly realized that the blanket was in place.

Good, he didn't know.

Blaine wiggled up awkwardly, his arms still pinned to his side, "Yeah…I uhm, I have it. Can you just hand me that jar?" Blaine pointed to a jar on the window.

Kurt quickly covered the small room and grabbed the jar.

Blaine opened the lid, squinting against the light, "It's kind of bright for before 7, isn't it?"

Kurt hated when people tried to make small talk, but he couldn't help himself, "Maybe because it's 11?"

Blaine yelped, "WHAT?" He scrambled out of bed, using only his hands to block himself, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just…I need to get to work."

Blaine pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and jumped a few times, seemingly forgetting that Kurt was in the room.

Kurt noted that he went commando.

He threw a v-neck on and slipped on flip flops, "I'm sorry, this is so rude, but I have to! Just…just count out the money you need. I trust you!" With that, Blaine slipped out of the room and ran down the steps, somehow making more noise than the other two boys.

He heard their cackles as the door slammed.

Kurt grabbed the half opened jar and pulled the lid off. The small jar was completely stuffed with circled bills. He fished them out and counted out the rent. He glanced at the rest. Blaine had quite a bit of money saved up – nearly $2,000.

Kurt wanted to hit Blaine and tell him to put the money into a bank account. He wanted to tell him how dangerous it was to have a jar sitting around filled with money. But he simply screwed the lid back on and placed it on the window.

Kurt glanced around the room, the nightstand held a lamp and a photograph. Kurt picked it up and examined the faces.

There was a man wearing a well-tailored suit, gelled hair, and a grim look on his face. Kurt knew that had to be Blaine's father. The woman next to him was short with curly black hair and a kind face. She was grinning from ear to ear, a small boy on her waist. There was a taller boy standing in front of the father, his blue eyes standing out from the photograph. Kurt looked back at the boy the woman was holding and realized with a start that it was Blaine. The little boy was peering out from under his arm, his curls wild and untamed. He wore red shorts, sneakers, and a striped shirt.

Kurt couldn't help but think they were the strangest looking family he'd ever seen. They seemed out of sync and disconnected.

Kurt realized that he had probably spent too much time in Blaine's room and put the photograph back on the nightstand. He didn't know why, but he decided to quickly make Blaine's bed.

Kurt jogged down the steps, "Thanks!" he said to the boys who were sitting and watching television.

"What did you do to Blaine?" Puck asked through a beer can.

"Nothing? He had to work."

Puck had a puzzled look on his face but said nothing.

Kurt walked out of the house and turned blindly to walk down the concrete path by the ocean. He didn't expect to bump into a solid person.

"Woah!" a familiar voice said and grabbed his arms to steady him, "I'm sorry, Kurt!"

Kurt looked into the green eyes and saw Blaine, slightly sweaty and panting, before him.

"Work?" Kurt quirked an eyebrow.

"I um…didn't have work today. I thought it was a weekday. I only work on weekdays. I don't have a job on weekends. Yet. I mean, ideally I would like to work on weekends as well so I can save money but you know what I mean. It's so hard to get jobs here."

Kurt nodded, "Sure."

"I'm sorry, I talk too much," Blaine sheepishly admitted, "my brother Cooper always tells me that when I'm nervous I talk way too much. I don't know if I do but I guess I do. But I don't know I do it so I can't really stop it. You know?"

Kurt was stunned. "I uhm…I don't…I mean, yeah."

Blaine ran a hand through his curls, "Sorry. I um…yeah."

Kurt wondered why Blaine felt so uncomfortable. If he didn't like the fact that Kurt was gay, he sure could have just apologized and left. Kurt decided to take a chance, "I...I feel like we got off on the wrong foot."

Blaine blinked a few times, "I feel like that was the most I've ever heard you speak," Blaine said quietly.

Kurt looked down, "I'm sorry...I just…I don't..."

"No!" Blaine's hands were back on Kurt's shoulders, "it's fine. You're shy, I get it. I'm too outgoing for my own good!"

Kurt didn't understand this boy at all. Whenever his step brother Finn would get into a fight with his girlfriend, he would always tell Kurt how lucky he was that he wouldn't have to deal with girls – apparently boys were just as weird. "You're weird," Kurt blurted out.

Blaine nodded, "Yeah. I am."

Kurt felt incredibly awkward. He should not have said that. "I just...my friend Rachel Berry told me that you were a complete jerk in high school and now you're being really nice to me and I'm the type of kid that people in high school hated just because I existed and so I don't know why you're being nice to me when you should probably just hate me on principle." The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he was saying them.

Blaine held up a hand, "Who said I was a jerk in high school?"

"Rachel Berry," Kurt looked down, "She works at the coffee shop I go to."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's arm. Kurt winced getting ready for the pain, but it was gentle, "Come on…we're going to go talk to Rachel and talk about this over coffee."

"It's really nice of you to take me for coffee before you beat me up," Kurt muttered.

"I'm not going to beat you up," Blaine slipped and arm around to Kurt's shoulder and rubbed it, "I'm trying to find out why this Rachel Berry girl would lie about me."

"I'm sure she's not…" Kurt argued.

"Kurt, I went to an all boys' high school. I honestly don't think she attended Dalton," Blaine was far too comfortable far too quickly.

Kurt wanted to shy away but couldn't get himself to actually move. Maybe Rachel was wrong. Maybe Rachel had lied. He didn't know why, but he couldn't help but want to believe Blaine when he said he wasn't the boy she talked about.

Kurt heard the opening notes to a random Mumford and Sons song and looked down as Blaine fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" Blaine glanced at Kurt and held his finger up. "No…I was about to go to coffee with a friend. No, I didn't …not yet. I mean I can…but…"

Kurt tried not to listen but couldn't help and overhear Blaine's side of the conversation. He wondered what was going on. Blaine looked completely afraid of the person on the other side of the phone.

"Coop…I can't…it was just one little thing….I know. I know what you mean, but I just...it wouldn't be…" Blaine was scrambling, his hands flying around as he spoke.

He was quiet for a few seconds, "Okay. No, I understand. Yeah, I know why. I just…yeah. It's fine. I'll talk to you later…I'll send it out later today. Yeah. Tell her I love her, okay?" Blaine ran a hand down his face and frowned, hanging up the phone quickly.

"You okay?" Kurt couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to stop Blaine from looking distraught.

Blaine nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, "Yeah…I just, I need to go. I can't…I can't go anywhere with you, Kurt."

Kurt watched as Blaine turned and walked down the street, Kurt followed quietly and watched Blaine pick up his pace until he was running with heaving shoulders and shaking hands.


	5. Crabbing

**Thank you so much for the reviews. :) A warning that the first few sentences of this update lives up to the rating!**

**Chapter 5**

Kurt ran his hand through the silky curls as he felt teeth scrape against his collarbone. "Please," he whined, not in control of stopping his mouth from spewing out what he wanted.

"Shhhh, I'll take care of you," the man slid a calloused finger down his chest, fingers leaving small indentations as they continued in their journey. The man continued his assault on Kurt's neck, sucking hard enough to mark, but Kurt didn't care.

"Please," he whined again, arching up as the fingers stopped right below his belly button, "please."

The man said nothing, but Kurt felt their lips connect as the fingers played with the waistband of his pants. The man's lips were soft and insistent against Kurt's, pressing hungrily and parting them enough for the press of his tongue to reach Kurt's own.

Kurt brought one leg up and felt the man grab it, growling low in his throat as they shifted on the bed. Kurt broke away, desperate for air meeting the eyes of the man below him, "Blaine…."

Blaine's knee wedged its way between Kurt's thighs and he slotted their hips together and pressed them hard together. Kurt could feel Blaine pressing against him, hard and thick and perfect. Blaine's eyes were still boring into Kurt's, his eyes far more brown than ever. Their foreheads gravitated together as Blaine's moved his hips a little, earning a soft groan from Kurt. "You're gorgeous," Blaine murmured above him.

"Do you even know what you do to me, Kurt?" Blaine panted, rolling his hips, his hardness dragging slow and forcefully against Kurt's own. Kurt ran his own hands down Blaine's back, scratching lightly and feeling the muscles move beneath them.

"Please…" he whined again, it seemed to be the only word he could formulate.

"Do you know how good I've been, how much I've struggled, to just every day be able to see you and not just _touch_? I shouldn't touch…I shouldn't." He had one hand buried in the hair at the back of Kurt's head and the other gripping tight against Kurt's thigh, and he kept thrusting, and this was so not going to take very long. "Do you know how hard I get off, Kurt, every night, thinking about _you_, your smell, your mouth, your skin - "

Kurt moved to Blaine's neck, tasting the salty skin from the ocean and sweat as he worked to make Blaine fall apart. "You are so fucking hot," Kurt whispered, feeling his face flush as the words, "So hot, Blaine." He bit down lightly on the tendon that moved across Blaine's shoulder, causing the man to sputter in his movements.

After a few minutes, it was hard to tell who was thrusting harder. Blaine had a vice grip on Kurt's wrist and pressed him fiercely down onto the bed, his hips giving a slight roll as he moved. Kurt didn't care, he could only think about getting pressed down into the mattress with Blaine's tongue in his mouth, on his neck, his teeth scraping his ear, and Kurt instinctively grabbed Blaine's hips and guided them. He pressed harder into Blaine's hips than he should have but he wanted everyone – wanted the world to know, just who made Blaine do this.

Blaine's hands felt excessively hot against him, radiating down through Kurt's clothes and into his overeager skin, getting his cock impossibly harder with every desperate fumbling movement they made. When they finally find a rhythm, stripping out of anything else is the farthest thing from either of their minds. Blaine pressed him down harder, squeezing his shoulders enough to hurt in best of ways and rubbed up most slowly, dragging against Kurt, fighting against the push of Kurt's hands.

"Been wanting to - do this – for weeks," Blaine panted, still licking at the shell of Kurt's ear before biting down a little. The heat between the two of them stayed trapped under the thin layers of their clothes. Kurt relished in the knowledge that Blaine had been like this for so longand all because of him, the boy no one had ever wanted. He couldn't help but imagine Blaine cuddling with Quinn at night and thinking about Kurt, fighting hard not to groan out his name instead.

Quinn. Kurt felt the shame and guilt wash over him as he looked up at the blissed out Blaine, dragging his hips to a stop.

The hot, heavy, and prefect pressure of Blaine against him stops and Blaine looked down at him with a question, "Kurt?"

Kurt jumped awake and stared across his room.

A dream.

He'd had a sex dream about Blaine Anderson. Straight, probably a jerk, Blaine Anderson.

_Fuck_.

Kurt threw his legs over the edge of the bed and walked toward the bathroom. He had to wash the feeling of Blaine off of him. He could still feel Blaine's hands curled around his shoulders, Blaine hips slotted with his.

He stood in the warm spray of the water and allowed his head to fall back onto the tile. He reasoned that it wasn't necessarily a sex dream.

They were still clothed. He hadn't really noticed Blaine's chest that much – just his shoulders.

It was barely a sex dream, the tamest of sex dreams really. He had no reason to feel ashamed or guilty. And really, wasn't it Blaine's fault for being so damn hot that Kurt couldn't help but be attracted to him?

Kurt shut off the water and quickly dressed, not wanting to care about what he wore, but still spent a lot of time preparing. He wanted to be that person that lived vicariously through sex dreams, sex chat rooms, and porn for the rest of his life if he kept up like he was.

He walked into the kitchen to find Meg washing the empty coffee pot, "Good morning!" she said brightly, "Did you have fun shopping with Rachel last night?"

"Yeah," he didn't want to admit that she had spent the entire time complaining about moving to New York a few weeks earlier than she had intended, and he wasn't able to ask her the questions he wanted to. "I'm exhausted though, I slept later than normal."

Meg nodded, "You did," her eyes glanced toward the window, "and you have a visitor."

Kurt couldn't see the face of the person leaning against the fence in the front yard, but he didn't need to. The crazy curls silhouetted by the morning sun revealed who it was quickly. "What's he doing here?" Kurt ducked down and blushed as his mind raced back to the dream.

Meg shrugged, "I don't know. He got here at seven this morning. He didn't knock and I figured it would be strange if I opened the door and invited him in when he obviously doesn't feel comfortable coming in."

"Because standing there wasn't awkward for him?" Kurt hissed, using the reflective oven door to check his hair. "Can you go find out what he wants?"

"No," Meg pulled out the box she kept all of the bills and important paper in, "I have to work. Go see what he wants though. Let him know I'm not starting a shelter."

Kurt grabbed his bag. He wasn't really in a hurry, he still had a few hours before work, but he wanted to be safe. He tried to walk out of the door gracefully, but as soon as he saw Blaine, he knew he would be bright pink.

Then again, so was Blaine.

"Good morning," Kurt said with a lilt to his voice, "umm…"

Blaine held out a baby blue thermos, "I uhm. I made you coffee. To make up for the date…I mean, the coffee date…not that it was a date," Blaine dug the heel of his hand into his temple, "shit. It was to make up for not going to get coffee with you the other day. I wanted to apologize for being so flaky. I promise I'm not always so weird. I just…you know, the ocean air or something…you know what they say!" Blaine's eyes were alight as he moved his hands and continued to babble.

Kurt could sense that Blaine wasn't comfortable, so he placed his hand on Blaine's arm, "Blaine…it's fine. Apology accepted. You had something more important to do, that's fine. I'm just me."

Blaine bit his lip and grinned, "I was thinking we could…we could have that coffee thing now?"

Kurt was taken aback, "Oh…I Blaine…"

Blaine jumped back, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. I just…Quinn mentioned that you didn't have many friends here and I thought maybe we could be friends because I…I really don't either. But that's fine! I mean, I always have the guys."

Kurt held up his hands, "So you're only trying to become friends with me because your girlfriend feels badly for me?" Kurt quirked an eyebrow.

"Quinn? You think Quinn?" Blaine huffed out a laugh and shook his head, "Quinn is dating Puck. I'm single. Single as can be. And on top of that I'm…."

"Wait," Kurt interrupted, "I've been hating you this whole time because Rachel Berry told me that Quinn's boyfriend was a jerk?"

Blaine's jaw dropped, "Oh. Wow. No, I'm definitely not dating Quinn. One hundred percent NOT dating Quinn. I wouldn't, I mean..Puck would kill me even if I…"

Kurt couldn't help but laugh, "Oh my god. I've been such an ass."

Blaine stopped talking and grinned, "Come on, do you want me to walk you to Coffee Thyme?"

Kurt nodded before realizing what Blaine said, "Wait, how do you know I go there everyday?"

"You know, that's the funny thing about stink eyes, people can usually feel them. I thought you were still made about that day I almost saw you naked."

Kurt couldn't help himself, "You know, I actually think I saw you naked on Saturday."

Blaine blushed again, "Can we…not talk about that?"

"So we're agreeing to not talk about the fact that we've seen each other naked?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "Could I bribe you into that?"

Blaine opened and closed his mouth a few times before responding, "Well I happen to know that I look fabulous naked and I have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Cocky, aren't we?"

Blaine jerked his head to the side and couldn't stop the loud laugh, "I do have one, yes."

It was Kurt's turn to be shocked, "I cannot believe you just said that."

Blaine shrugged, "You asked for it."

Kurt was about to respond when he heard Blaine's phone ringing again. He hoped this time it wouldn't cause him to run away.

"Quinn," Blaine ran a hand through his hair, "No, it's fine. You just sound like crap. It's fine. They're meeting me at the dock and we're just crabbing this morning. I can handle them...yes, I know CPR….yes, I know most of them are young. I'll be fine. Take care of yourself." Blaine hung up the phone, "I'm sorry. I know it's rude but I had to answer it. Again."

Kurt waved him off, "It's fine. Is everything okay?"

"Quinn's sick and can't come to work this morning. I know the truth, but we won't go into that." Blaine stopped in front of Coffee Thyme. Kurt had no idea how they'd covered so much ground so quickly.

"Truth?"

"She was with Puck last night. They probably drank too much and are both hung over. But whatever, I get twice the pay on days she doesn't show up." Blaine glanced down toward a dock that Kurt figured he was meeting people at.

"So what exactly is your job, glorified babysitter?"

Blaine drank the last of his coffee. Kurt hadn't had the heart to tell Blaine that his was bitter cold and he couldn't stomach it. "I work for the hotels. I take the kids out in the morning so their parents can get some alone time or go to meetings or anything really. They have other people do it in the afternoon."

Kurt nodded, "Do you want some help?" he bit his lip and wanted to take back the words. He wasn't sure he and Blaine were exactly friends, but he did know that if he could stand to spend another morning with Rachel yammering away about New York.

Blaine narrowed his eyes, "Yeah…yeah, that would be great. I'm really good with the kids but there are a lot of them today and it would be great to have an extra set of eyes. Only if you want to. I could give you Quinn's share of the pay."

"No need," Kurt held up his hands, "I'm happy to help you."

Blaine nodded and motioned for them to walk toward the dock, "You know, you're talking a lot more today than I've ever heard you talk. Not like that's a bad thing!"

Kurt blushed, he didn't want to tell Blaine that once you have a sex dream about someone, there really is no going back. "I guess I just adjusted to this place finally."

Blaine nodded, "It is different from Ohio. I'm from Westerville originally, not Lima, but I know what it's like."

"Aren't you happy to be gone?"

Blaine shook his head sadly, "Not really. I wish I could go back every single day." His eyes held some sadness that Kurt had only caught glimpses of before, "I really miss my family and my friends."

Kurt bit his lip but said nothing – he didn't want to pass his bad attitude about Ohio onto Blaine.

"There were times a few years ago I wanted to leave, now I just can't wait until I go back."

"When is that?" Kurt prodded.

"When summer is over," Blaine said with a sigh, "then I have no idea what happens." They arrived at the dock and Blaine leaned against the side, tying some crab traps to the wooden posts.

"You aren't going to college?"

Blaine bit his lip, "I should be going to Columbia, actually. But I don't know if I'll actually end up going."

Kurt tried not to see red, "Why not?"

Blaine opened his mouth to answer when a small body collided with his legs, "Amelia!" Blaine knelt down and grabbed the little girl with braids, "Did you miss me this weekend!"

"So much!" she giggled and looked up at Kurt, "Who is he?"

"This is Kurt, he's taking the place of Miss Quinn today," Blaine grinned up at Kurt, who momentarily forgot to breath.

"Can we play dress up again? I think you should play the princess again!"

Kurt couldn't help but laugh as Blaine flushed scarlet, "Today we're going crabbing," Blaine closed his eyes tightly, "pretend you didn't hear that, okay?"

Kurt fake grimaced, "See here's the thing…I don't think I could."

"Oh you can," Blaine said lowly as he stood, "and you will."

It took nearly a half hour, but by the time everyone was accounted for, twenty children sat on the dock. Blaine looked at Kurt, "Have you ever been crabbing?"

"No."

"Have you ever seen a show about crabbing?"

"No."

Blaine blew out a puff of air, "Okay kids. Today we're going to learn how to crab. Mr. Kurt here decided to volunteer and be the person I walk through the steps."

The little kids all leaned forward and looked at Kurt, who was venomous. "I guess I'm the volunteer," he grinned down at the group.

"Okay, so what we have here is a crab trap," Blaine held up the wire box, "We need to have Kurt throw his trap out far, so that it forms a triangle with the pier and him."

Blaine threw the trap out and watched it sink perfectly onto the bottom of the ocean.

Kurt did the same thing, though his trap ended up slightly closer to the dock.

"Good, good. Now, Kurt and I will take care of putting bait into the traps. You will each divide into your groups and take care of one trap. Line up and get your bait! You can pull the trap out to check it only if you think you have crabs!"

Kurt hid his laugh behind his hand.

Blaine gently pushed his shoulder, "Stop it! That is so not funny!" Blaine bit his lip to stop the laughter that threatened to escape his throat.

Kurt leaned against the dock as the different groups threw their crab traps into the water, "They aren't going to catch anything, are they?"

Blaine shook his head, "Not a chance. This is the first time I'm doing this."

Kurt nodded, "So what's in the traps?" he looked at the slimy substance that was in the bin he reached his hand into to fill the trap.

"Chicken necks mostly," Blaine responded, handing off the last trap.

Kurt looked down at his fingers, "Excuse me? Chicken necks, mostly?"

Blaine nodded, "I mean…there are some spines too. Even some salmon. Bones too, from the fishing cookout the boys and I had last night."

Kurt grabbed his bag and pulled out his hand sanitizer, "Want some?"

Blaine nodded and held out his cupped hands. "Thank you."

"So what are we going to do if they actually catch something?" Kurt leaned closer to Blaine, "because I don't think I can kill them."

"We'll let the go," Blaine said nervously, "I can't kill them either."

As it turned out, they didn't have to worry because no one caught a crab that morning. The kids grew restless and by the time Blaine handed them off to the afternoon people, they were all mildly irritated and ready for anything else.

"Sorry I brought you on a bad day," Blaine looked down at his sweats arms that were still attractive though Kurt knew they were covered in animal byproduct.

"It's fine. I just have to go get cleaned up before I go to work," Kurt looked at his own arms. Somehow he'd managed to avoid getting any on his clothing, but his arms were a mess.

"We could just go wash off in the water?" Blaine suggested, "it will be quicker."

"No…no thank you," Kurt stammered, "I just…I don't want to get salt on the dress."

Blaine nodded in understanding, "Kurt…I'm going to keep these traps in the water for a little. On the off chance I catch some...would you maybe like to have…have dinner with me? We can eat the crabs and maybe just get to know each other? Like I said, I'd really like a friend…or or…something…I mean…" he trailed off, "god, I'm such an idiot around you."

Kurt smiled softly, "If you catch some crabs, I would love to spend time and share them with you."

Blaine raised his eyebrows, "You'd like to share my crabs?"

Kurt closed his eyes and shook his head, but smiled widely, "I'd love to share your crabs."

With that, Kurt turned and walked away. He'd finally earned himself a friend that maybe would actually do something with him and just be his friend instead of being someone to talk at.

Kurt had actually forgotten about the proposition until Blaine called later that night.

"So I have crabs and I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night…"

Kurt laughed and curled up on the chair sitting on his widow's walk, "I'd love to have crabs with you tomorrow."

Blaine's laugh was infectious, and they made plans to meet up the next day.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much! Please let me know what you think.<strong>


	6. Crab Cakes

This is a wee short, but we have some good stuff coming up!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Meg asked as she looked through the cabinets, "I have to go shopping so your options are really the old Hungry Man I have in the freezer or noodles without butter or pasta sauce."

Kurt looked up from his sketch, "Do I look like I would eat something called a Hungry Man?"

"If Blaine Anderson were a hungry man…" Meg muttered lowly as she continued to comb through the cabinets.

"Excuse me?" Kurt dropped his pencil, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Crabbing?" Meg asked lightly, "down by the dock? Not the best foreplay if you ask me, but who am I to judge?"

Kurt could feel the blood rushing to his face, "We weren't…I don't know what you mean. He needed help with the kids and I was there."

"If Noah needed help crabbing, would you have stuck your arm into a bucket full of chicken for him?" Meg closed the cabinet and leaned against it, her gaze calmly on Kurt.

Kurt knew he'd been caught, "No, probably not."

"See, was that so difficult? It isn't really a bad thing, he's extremely good looking."

Kurt shrugged, "I'm not going to trust your opinion. He is relatively good looking but I know nothing about him."

"So get to know him! He's a good kid, Kurt."

Kurt started packing his things up, he knew he wasn't going to be able to concentrate now that Meg was talking about Blaine. "I actually…um, he asked me to go eat some of those crabs with him later tonight. But it isn't a date. I swear it isn't a date."

"Like a dinner date? And he's cooking? Maybe I'll have to steal him from you!" Meg hopped onto the counter and winked, "What time are you going?"

"He's meeting me here in about an hour and a half," as Kurt said the words his heart started racing, "Oh my god, I only have an hour and a half to get dressed."

He flew out of the kitchen and took the stairs in twos as he ran toward his room. An hour and a half would not be enough to get dressed, protect his hair from any sort of wind it could face, and calm himself down enough so he didn't make a complete ass out of himself."

"I can help!" Meg offered, watching as Kurt stared blankly into his closet. "You'll want pants because the beach gets cold at night."

"How did you know we were going to the beach?" Kurt asked breathlessly as he furiously moved the hangers down the closet further.

"Because that's what young people do around here," Meg said, "and you should wear a lighter top so you can get cold and you have to snuggle for body heat," her eyes were gleaming.

"Shouldn't you be talking me out of this?" Kurt pulled three or four shirts out of his closet, "my father would have a conniption if he knew you were letting me do this."

"I trust Blaine, I trust you, and I know you are both old enough to make your own decisions. Besides, this isn't a date," she mimicked him in the last part, her voice going high, "right?"

Kurt nodded, "He's straight, so yes, right."

Meg coughed, "He's straight? Excuse me?"

Kurt nodded, "Straight as an arrow."

"Straight as a U-Turn," Meg chorused.

Kurt just laughed and shook his head in disbelief, "He would have told me he was gay."

Meg bit her lip but said nothing else, "Okay, well it isn't a date. Then bring a sweater, because you'll be damn cold on that beach. It still seems like a rather romantic place to just have a regular old dinner."

Kurt moved to the bathroom where he pulled on a loose pair of jeans and the only white sneakers he owned. He grabbed a long sleeve white v-neck. "Maybe I won't put anything over it," he said mostly to himself.

Meg was still outside of the bathroom, "Whoa, showing some skin, Hummel?"

Kurt adjusted his hair higher in the mirror, "Do you think I'll scare him off?"

"No."

Kurt added a red and white striped belt to his outfit and looked in the mirror, "This is about as good as it's going to get."

"Good, because I see a certain curly headed boy coming down the street. Oh!" she squealed, "he even has a picnic basket!"

Kurt's heart jumped into his throat but he just smoothed down his shirt, "Okay. Well, I'm going to go meet him."

"Shouldn't I get to meet him or something?"

"You know him," Kurt deadpanned, "I'll be back by midnight."

Kurt took the stairs just as quickly down and he met Blaine at the front fence, "Hey, ready?" Blaine asked with a smile.

"Of course," Kurt motioned to the picnic basket, "Was that just lying around the house?"

Blaine looked down at the basket and bit his lip, "It was actually my family's back when I was little. My mom…um, she used to have picnics with my older brother and me all the time. We ran around and did stupid things while she would sit and write. When I left Ohio, I just kind of…took it with me."

Kurt examined Blaine for a second as they walked slowly toward the beach, "That seems a strange thing to pack."

"Well she wasn't using it so…" Blaine motioned with his hand.

Kurt was the first to step onto the sand. He immediately realized that sneakers and sand did not work well together, "Crap."

Blaine was toeing his own Converse off, "Just take them off and roll your pants. I keep forgetting that you really haven't been on the beach."

Kurt glared, "I was on the beach once."

"Oh," Blaine nodded and continued rolling his pants, "I forgot. I um, I couldn't go that night because I was working. The boys told me that they um, tried to make you go into the water. I'm sorry for that. They shouldn't have tried to force you to do that. If I would have been there I would have made sure you were safe!"

Kurt couldn't help but roll his eyes at Blaine – the boy babbled more than anyone he'd ever met. "It's fine, Blaine. I can defend my own honor."

"I know you can, but I just…I would have, you know?" Blaine rubbed a hand down his face, "Well come on. We have a picnic to be had."

They walked together down the beach. Kurt slowed them quite a bit because he still was not used to walking in the sand.

"This is impossible," he huffed, "how can you move so quickly?"

"Flat feet," Blaine responded easily, "my feet are used to abuse from dancing."

"You dance?" Kurt glanced at Blaine as he staggered to the side, "you don't seem the type."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up to meet his hairline, "Really? I thought I pretty much did. But sometimes I dance. I'm more of a singer."

"Me too!" Kurt felt a strange rush of happiness over the fact that he and Blaine had something huge, at least to Kurt, in common. "I was in my school's show choir." Thinking about high school brought Kurt down, but this time for an extremely important reason.

It was the first Thursday in June.

It was McKinley High's graduation night.

It was _his _graduation night.

He connected it all now. That is why Meg was leering over him all day and why his dad had called to "just check up" on him. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten it. It had been a day that had driven him nearly crazy throughout high school. He'd had a countdown on his wall since sophomore year, all leading up to the day he'd get his diploma.

And now he wasn't even there. He didn't understand why he felt as sad as he did. He should be jumping for joy, ecstatic that he was gone long before anyone else was.

But he couldn't help himself, did anyone know he was gone?

Was Mercedes the only person who missed him?

Did she even miss him?

"Hey," Blaine moved closer to Kurt in the sand, "are you okay? You went all spacey there for a minute."

"I'm fine," Kurt cleared his throat and kept walking, "I just…I realized something." He glanced at the water for a few seconds. It was only a few feet away. "Can we stop here?"

"Huh?" Blaine looked up, "oh! Sure. I mean, unless you wanted to eat in the water. I could um, I could build a boat. I could use the life guard station for wood and tie it together with um..with seaweed?"

"Let's hope if I ever get caught on a deserted island with someone, it isn't you," Kurt helped Blaine spread the blanket out on the sand. Kurt tried to ignore the fact that this was the sheet from Blaine's bed and that Blaine had been using it to sleep on the entire summer.

"So we have crab cakes," Blaine pulled a Tupperware container out of the huge basket, "a salad, some fruit, and sparkling cider."

Kurt curled his knees beneath his chin and shrugged. Truth be told, his appetite was completely gone. "It looks great," he said half heartedly.

Blaine stopped moving his hands over the food, "Do you want to tell me what's going on? I can tell something is bothering you Kurt. Only if you want to I mean. I would never force you to do something you didn't want to do."

Kurt needed something to do with his hands so he started grabbing handfuls of sand and letting them go, "I'm sorry. I just…I didn't have a lot of friends back in school…or ever really and I don't usually open up to people. Sorry."

Blaine leaned back on his arms, appraising Kurt. Kurt felt like he was under a microscope. The sun was setting, but it allowed just enough light for him to see Blaine's eyes piercing into him as he watched. "I could be your friend, Kurt. You need someone here. I understand you've been alone for a lot of your life. Hell, I was too. I am," Blaine finished emphatically, "but you need someone. You can't just walk around jaded and assume the worst in everyone. You won't get anywhere doing that Kurt."

Kurt really wanted to be friends with Blaine. He wanted to know there was someone there for him. Blaine could become his new Mercedes, he could fill that voice the girl had left in his heart.

"Tonight is my high school graduation," he said softly, eyes looking anywhere but the boy in front of him, "and I am here."

Blaine nodded, "I take it you didn't really…want to be there?"

"No."

"And no one forced you to go?" Blaine's eyes were wide, "no one told you you'd regret it later?"

"No," there was some malice in Kurt's voice, "no one told me I would regret it. The thought barely crossed my mind until you said something about it."

Blaine blushed, "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it before it came out of my mouth. Sometimes words have their own way of creeping out of my mouth and I don't know how to stop them."

Kurt chewed on his lip, slightly embarrassed for his breakdown, "When did you graduate? You must have been here before me?"

"I didn't," Blaine said simply.

"You're a drop out?" Kurt couldn't believe what he'd heard. "I can't picture you..."

Blaine laughed, but it sounded hollow and insincere, "I just….I'm only a junior."

Kurt nodded, "Wow. You seemed so much older to me. I thought you were in college when I first met you."

"I grew up quickly," Blaine played with the edges of the Tupperware, clearly hungrier than Kurt was.

"Let's eat," Kurt said, "we don't have to talk about sad things like my missed Rites of Passage or your youth."

"My youth," Blaine scoffed as he handed Kurt a crab cake.

Kurt ate the crab cake happily. It tasted great and was the perfect consistency. "You didn't make these," Kurt said quietly.

Blaine raised his head, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Kurt challenged, "You bought these at the seafood restaurant down the block from your house."

"I assure you I have no idea what you're talking about," Blaine said, "I bought nothing."

"Sure, so what goes into crab cake filling?"

Blaine looked bashful for a few seconds before sighing, "I didn't buy them. I just...my friend works at the restaurant and I...commandeered a tray of them."

"Commandeered?" Kurt couldn't help but let out a loud laugh that sent a nearby pack of seagulls flying, "You stole crab cakes?"

"No! Commandeered."

"I'm not getting into semantics with you, Blaine. You stole them." Kurt looked at the half eaten crab cake, "I can't eat that now. It's contraband."

Blaine pushed the salad toward Kurt, "then eat that. I made that."

"You washed salad," Kurt joked, "Thanks."

Blaine put a hand to his heart, "You wound me, Kurt. I went to all of this hard work and you insult it."

Kurt shoved the rest of the crab cake into his mouth, "Happy? I ate it."

Blaine sat back, "Good. You destroyed the evidence."

Kurt swallowed quickly and stood up, leering over Blaine, "You are at thief! I should turn you in!"

"Please, you know what they do with boys like me in prison!" Blaine's eyes went dramatically wide and Kurt struggled to keep a straight face.

Blaine scrambled to his feet, "I'll hide all of the evidence!"

Kurt bent to grab the napkin from the restaurant that he saw sticking out of the bag, but Blaine anticipated his movement and ran into him, picking him up swiftly.

Blaine had him in a bear hug from the back, and Kurt's feet were barely dangling over the ground. Still, he acted as if Blaine were lifting him high off of his feet. Kurt tried not to focus on the warm feeling of Blaine underneath and around him.

"That hurt," Blaine said lowly as he started stepping backwards, "That hurt a lot, Kurt. I worked so hard on that, so hard."

Kurt started squirming in his arms, "Blaineeee!" he shrieked and didn't have time before he realized exactly what Blaine was about to do, "Blaine! No!"

The telltale splashes made Kurt even more aware of the fact that Blaine was backing up toward the ocean, "I could throw you in the ocean you know," Blaine whispered, "but I won't."

Kurt relaxed in Blaine's arms, but still tried to fight a little, "I'm sorry! I won't say you stole the crab cakes anymore! You commandeered them!"

Blaine lowered Kurt, and Kurt could feel the cool water splashing against his toes. Before he even realized it, Blaine had set him down and the water was lapping against his ankles.

Kurt turned, holding onto Blaine's shoulders, "I'm sorry…you probably don't like me touching you like this but I can't…I'm…"

"Scared," Blaine says quietly, "You're scared."

Kurt nodded, "I am."

Blaine secured his hands around Kurt's upper arms, "I won't let go. You can't be afraid of everything forever."

Kurt took a deep breath and allowed himself to stand in the water, "Blaine…even though you're a jerk, you're also already one of the best friends I've ever had."

Kurt didn't see the look that crossed Blaine's face, but Blaine just let himself hold Kurt in the water, "You're one of the best friends I've ever had too."

* * *

><p>A hint, I'd listen to the song "On the Way to Cape May" for some hints as to upcoming events!<p> 


	7. Little Ditty On Our Way To Ocean City

**Sorry for the wait! Here you all go!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Kurt found himself with Blaine more often than he was not around the hyperactive boy. Blaine quickly came out of his own shell, becoming more playful and happier around Kurt.

"We can try to go to the beach again," Blaine said the next Saturday as they lounged on the Adirondack chairs on the wraparound porch of the house. "Or we could go shopping at the promenade?"

Kurt huffed out a breath, "That all sounds really boring; I don't want to do any of it. I can't believe this place has even less to do than Lima!"

Blaine pouted his bottom lip out, "Come on, Kurt. I took the day off to spend with you – the least you could do is entertain me."

Kurt crossed his legs and thought for a moment, "Well what else is there to do in Cape May?"

Blaine thought for a moment, "The zoo, the lighthouse, the beach, there are some museums but nothing special…"

"Ugh!" Kurt groaned again and put his head in his hands. Work had been terrible that week and he just wanted to something fun to take his mind off of the week he'd had. "What about outside of Cape May? I do have a car."

"As do I," Blaine reasoned.

"We are not taking the hunk of junk you call a car!" Kurt gasped, "My dad is a mechanic and I do not want to blow up halfway to some other beach town."

"Fine," Blaine thought for a moment, "We could go to one of the boardwalks? The one in Wildwood is probably crazy tonight, but we could try Ocean City? It's bound to be just as busy but I like it better. Less freaks, more normal people."

Kurt shuddered thinking about what Blaine labeled as freaks and what he labeled as normal. He still couldn't get quite a read on how Blaine felt about him. The boy would often shy away from him in certain situations when they got too close or Blaine looked like he was about to say something. "I guess we could go there. Is there really anything to do during the day?"

"Games," Blaine thought for a moment, "we could ride go karts or play in the arcades? The rides aren't really fun until it gets dark though. But we could totally go to this little pizza place. It sells the _best_ pizza you will ever taste. I'm serious. The sauce and the cheese are perfect and the way the pepperoni just complements it…oh my god."

Kurt laughed loudly at Blaine, "You are going to marry a chef and quickly become one of those men who cannot leave their bed, I know it."

"You know nothing," Blaine stuck his tongue out at Kurt, "let's get going before the crowd picks up."

"Race you to the car?" Kurt was already standing and moving before Blaine even answered the question.

"No fair! Cheater!" Blaine jumped off the stairs and ran, nearly dragging Kurt down as he grabbed him around the waist and pulled, successfully picking him up.

"I'm going to win this way," Kurt laughed as Blaine carried him toward the car, legs sticking up awkwardly.

Blaine quickly and deftly turned around, running backwards until his butt hit the car, "I win!" he yelled before dropping Kurt who only had a moment to scramble and catch himself before falling. "That means I get to pick the radio station!"

Kurt climbed into the car, "I have a feeling I'm going to regret letting you catch me."

"You did not let me catch you," Blaine pulled on his seat belt and started pushing the buttons, "I caught you because I am fast!"

"Your short little legs cannot carry you fast," Kurt heard the beats on the radio and moved his hand to change it, "No."

"Yes!" Blaine laughed and turned the music up and put the window down, "_I threw a wish in the well, Don't ask me, I'll never tell! I looked to you as it fell, and now you're in my way_."

"No," Kurt laughed as Blaine tried to grab his hand dramatically, "Don't you dare."

"_I'd trade my soul for a wish, pennies and dimes for a kiss_," Blaine puckered his lips distractingly enough that Kurt stopped listening to his GPS and almost missed the exit. "_I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way_."

"My hand is about to be in the way of your mouth," Kurt commented again as he sharply turned the car.

"_Your stare was holdin'. Ripped jeans, skin was showin' hot night, wind was blowin'. Where you think you're going, baby?" _Blaine was singing and acting out the part of the song dramatically, his eyes wide with laughter as Kurt got exponentially more exasperated.

But nothing could prepare Kurt for what was next. They were in the early morning traffic stopped, so Blaine took full advantage.

There were a few old women in the car next to them, their windows down, enjoying the ocean breeze even far away from the shoreline. Blaine stuck his head out the window and nearly screamed the next lyrics, "_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number. So call me, maybe?_" Blaine held up his phone to his ear and gave the ladies a thumbs up. Kurt tried to put his seat back further to avoid being seen. "_It's hard to look right at you baby, but here's my number. So call me, maybe?_"

Kurt took the momentary distraction of Blaine singing to the women to deftly reach over and quickly switch the radio off, "Are you crazy?" he laughed, using his buttons to put the window up and switch on the child lock.

Blaine pouted and tried the button, "You child locked me?" He crossed his arms over his chest as the traffic started moving. Kurt quickly wove through the traffic to get away from the older women.

"I did," Kurt took the next exit, "Those little old ladies probably have little, lonely, old husbands at home who don't have the hearts to have their women flirting with young, handsome, dapper men like you."

Blaine batted his eyelashes, "You really think I'm handsome?"

Kurt could feel the blush creep up his neck, "I do."

Blaine reached over to grab Kurt's hand, "Hey, don't be embarrassed. I'm flattered, I really am."

"You're a really weird straight man," Kurt blurted out without thinking.

Blaine was startled for a minute, "That's because I'm not straight," he said lightly, "I thought you knew that."

Kurt nearly hit the brakes and stopped the car, "You aren't?"

Blaine shook his head, "No…I thought I told you?"

"You didn't, I'd remember," Kurt started intently at the road. If Blaine hadn't told him that he was gay, that obviously meant the Blaine didn't want him to know.

"Are you out?" Kurt asked, trying to make his tone conversational.

"Yeah," Blaine seemed a little awkward, "I just…I really thought I told you."

Kurt wondered why Blaine didn't want him to know he was gay. Did Blaine automatically assume that if Kurt knew, he would develop feelings?

Kurt hated to admit that he'd developed some sort of feelings for Blaine the day they met, and then again when they started being friends.

He hated even more to admit that knowing there was some small semblance of a chance with the perfect boy sitting next to him only provoked his inappropriate thoughts. "You didn't," he said quietly.

"Hey, I'm out and proud," Blaine swallowed thickly, "I guess I thought you could just…just tell. I could tell with you."

"Of course you could," Kurt snapped as gently as he could. He was momentarily distracted by the huge Ferris wheel in front of him, "is that the boardwalk?"

Blaine peered through the windshield, "It is."

Kurt deftly moved his car into the space and before he could even get out of the car, Blaine was putting quarters into the meter.

"We're staying here forever," he clapped happily and moved toward the ramp that would lead them to the boardwalk.

Kurt followed slowly behind him, still trying to comprehend all of the new information he had just gathered. Blaine was gay. Blaine, the boy he'd been terrified of, mystified with, and now best friends with, was gay.

And handsome.

And funny.

And smart.

And perfect.

And everything Kurt had ever wanted in anyone.

Blaine was standing in front of Kurt with his eyes searching the boy's face, "Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just…I don't usually lead with it in discussion. I promise I didn't hide it from you with any malice of forethought. I just…you're amazing Kurt. I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to walk away and stop being my friend because of this. Me being gay changes nothing…absolutely nothing. Don't…don't think I'm going to be weird around you because we're both gay. I can't…"

"Blaine, you're babbling," Kurt laughed and put a calming hand on his shoulder, "I'm not mad at you. It is just something I didn't know…like your birthday or your mother's maiden name."

Blaine laughed and fell into step beside Kurt, "October fifth and Bautista. You?"

"September seventh and Philips," Kurt knew the air around them had changed; at least it had from his perspective. Things were thicker but in a good way. He felt the air of hope, of promise, of something deeper than friendship surrounding them. He glanced at Blaine and wished he could pause the moment. The ocean breeze caught Blaine's slightly long hair causing the curls to move in a waving pattern. His eyes were covered by aviator sunglasses but his smile was bright. He'd tanned even more in the past few days; his daily trips out on the boats with his campers were to blame.

"Go kart?" Blaine asked with a grin as he pointed to the track out on a pier. The pier jutted out into the water and looked slightly dangerous but Kurt felt the flare of excitement. If there was one stereotypical male thing Kurt could do, it was drive.

"Loser has to win the other a stuffed animal at one of the midway games?" Kurt offered with his hand proffered.

Blaine looked down at the hand with interest before shaking it, "You're on. You do realize you're going to lose though, correct?"

"You have no idea what I'm capable of, Anderson," Kurt handed five dollars to the man and ran to a newer looking teal go-kart. He strapped himself in and motioned to the hot pink car next to him, "This one is nice and manly."

"I'd never shy away from hot pink, it goes with my skin tone," Blaine shot back and he jumped into the go kart, "I honestly don't know what you're doing," he whispered as they watched the attendant belt a five year old little boy into his car.

Kurt stared at the track, "Eyes on the road, Anderson. Also, I like the teddy bears by the water pistols."

The light started changing as soon as the attendant moved away, and the screeching sound of tired on asphalt filled the air as they started flying around the track.

Kurt gently bumped the side of Blaine's car, pushing him over instead of forward. They were both screaming at the other over the loud noises. "Blaine you're so going down!"

"I don't think so, Lima!" Blaine pulled ahead momentarily as they turned the corner. Kurt had miscalculated the space he had and ended up having to slow down a lot to take the corner.

Halfway through the race, Kurt knew he'd have to outsmart Blaine instead of outdrive him. He allowed himself to inch forward a bit at a time so that Blaine wouldn't notice right away. "Got you," he yelled as he successfully got half of his car in front of Blaine.

Neither boy paid attention as the little boy zoomed past them, "SUCKERS!" he yelled as he crossed the finish line and the attendant motioned the game over.

"You suck!" the little boy yelled at Blaine as he helped Kurt out of his car, "You drive like a girl!"

"Timmy, be nice!" the mother scolded, "I'm sorry, he's still learning manners."

"I see," Kurt said coldly, afraid that the boy had hurt Blaine's feelings.

"That's okay, he's still learning to drive," the dad said with a laugh as the family walked away.

"Was I really that bad?" Blaine pouted.

"No, but you're still winning me a big teddy bear that will take your seat in the front of the car." Kurt grabbed Blaine's elbow and led him toward the midway.

"And where will I sit?" Blaine asked timidly.

"You will wallow over your loss in the back of the car," Kurt couldn't hold back the grin on his face, "Maybe if you're lucky I'll make him sit in the back."

"I hope I'm lucky," Blaine crossed his fingers as they walked up to the water shooting game.

"Think you can win this one?"

Blaine sat down on the stool and stared at the gun, "Of course I can win this. It's a simple game."

The woman at the game cracked her gum and looked down at Blaine, "What are you playing for?"

"The big brown teddy bear," Kurt said excitedly. "He's going to win it and then carry it around the boardwalk for me!"

"How sweet."

Blaine nodded, "Let's just play the game."

"You have to wait for another person if you want to win the biggest prize," the woman was bored and leaned against the game.

A small girl with curly blonde hair climbed up on the stool next to Blaine, "Mister, are you playing the game?"

Blaine looked at the girl and his eyes widened, "Yes I am. I'm going to win this nice boy here a huge teddy bear."

The little girl looked at Blaine for a second and then looked up at the big teddy bear, "Woah! I'd like that teddy bear."

Kurt held back a laugh at the look on Blaine's face. He stared down at the girl in wonder.

"Well maybe you can beat me. Are your parents around to give you money?" Blaine looked around for anyone that looked like they could be the small girl's parents. Kurt was positive they wouldn't let someone as precious as her out of their sight.

"No, I wanted to play the game!" she sat on her legs and reached over for the gun.

Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, "She's playing too," he said to the attendant, "And they we're going to find your parents sweetie."

"Okay," she was serious about the game, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as the water began squirting from her gun. The people around Blaine were okay at the game, but his puppet was rising the fastest.

The little girl hadn't gotten hers to move.

Kurt watched as Blaine helped the little girl by moving her hands, successfully moving her stuffed monkey up the tube quickly. The bell rang and the light about the little girl went crazy.

"We have a winner," the attendant said loudly, pulling down the brown bear, "for this little girl right here. Ladies and gentleman, this little girl just beat everyone out."

The little girl squealed and grabbed for the teddy bear, almost tipping off of the stool. Blaine grabbed her and laughed, "Honey, where are your parents?"

The attendant grabbed her walkie talkie, "Angela to security, we have a little girl here who lost her parents."

"Check that, we have parents looking for a blonde little girl at the security station. Do you want us to come get her?"

"We can take her," Blaine offered as he motioned to Kurt and himself, "if we're allowed."

"Technically no," Angela sighed and looked at the people already sitting down, having seen the little girl win the big prize. "But it is only a football field away…"

"We'll be fine," Blaine crouched down to look at the girl, "I'm Blaine. My friend Kurt and I are going to take you back to your parents, is that okay?"

The girl nodded, "I'm Haley."

Blaine held out his hand seriously, "Nice to meet you Haley."

"Nice to meet you, Haley!" Kurt chimed in, "How about Blaine carries you back and I'll hold your teddy bear?"

Haley eyed him for a second before turning to Blaine and whispering something into his ear.

Blaine laughed for a second, his eyes twinkling, "No, he won't take your bear."

She nodded and handed the heavy stuffed animal over to Kurt, "Thank you." She held her arms up to Blaine who gladly picked her up and started walking toward the security office.

The walk took longer than they thought. Kurt kept bumping into people because he couldn't see them over the bear. Blaine was balancing Haley on his shoulders and they were singing.

When they arrived at the security office they were quickly greeted by a blonde man and a man with dark hair that was crying. "Haley!" they both cried and walked forward.

"Thank you for finding her!" the blonde man said.

"Thank you for taking care of our princess," the darker man was kissing her chubby cheeks, "Never do that again, sweetheart, you scared us so much. We didn't know where you were!"

She clutched onto her fathers, "I'm sorry, Daddies! I wanted a teddy bear!"

Kurt handed the teddy bear to the blonde father, "And she won one."

The man's face fell, "Haley, don't you think that teddy bear is a little big to take on the plane back home?"

Haley looked down at the bear and then back up to Kurt, "Will you take care of my bear for me?" she asked looking sadly at the brown fur.

"Of course," Kurt wanted to refuse, but knew it would only hurt the girl's feelings further. "I'll take care of her forever."

"Him," she said softly, "his name is Blaine."

Blaine turned seven shades of red and coughed, "Well thank you Miss Haley."

The fathers thanked the boys again and walked off with Haley, each of them holding one of the girl's hands.

"Blaine the Teddy Bear," Kurt joked as they made their way toward the shops.

"Shut up," Blaine laughed, "I didn't name him."

"Now I'll get to cuddle and sleep with Blaine the Teddy Bear every night," Kurt joked, strutting forward.

Blaine ran behind him, "It will never live up to the real thing."

Kurt winked but said nothing as the boardwalk filled with people and they became the ultimate tourists that walked in and out of every shop.

That night, while going around the brightly-lit Ferris Wheel sandwiched between Blaine the Teddy Bear and Blaine the Amazing Boy, Kurt swore he'd never had a better day in his entire life.

And it was just the start of summer.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for any cavities...<strong>


	8. First Date

**Hey everyone! This chapter is a little bit longer and introduces an OC (Paul) and talks a little more about Kurt & Blaine. I hope you enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

"And I'm just saying that out of them, Tommy was obviously the lead but Phil was a leader," Blaine finished with a flourish next to Kurt on the towel.

Kurt chuckled as he watched a seagull pick at a leftover chicken nugget someone had carelessly let lie on the beach. "And who exactly was your favorite character?"

"Well, Chuckie obviously," Blaine motioned to his own curly hair, "one year I dressed up as Chuckie for Halloween while my brother went as Reptar. We got the most candy on our block. It was awesome." Blaine looked pensive for a moment, "but he did steal my candy about a week later."

Kurt realized then that he missed Finn. Sure, Finn was kind of a jerk at times and really never said the right thing, but he was the closest thing Kurt would ever have to a brother. "That's horrible that he ate your candy; I'm not sure how you aren't in therapy right now."

Blaine nudged Kurt's ribs with his elbow. "I mean, Chuckie was me when I was little. Chuckie was always the strong one even though he was terrified. He didn't have the courage to do anything unless something provoked him to do it. That's mean in a sense." Blaine had a forearm thrown over his eyes to protect them from the sun, and his knees were bent with feet buried into the sand. Kurt knew he should warn Blaine about the consequences of lying on a beach shirtless, but the pleas died on his lips because Blaine was gorgeous. Kurt felt he paled in comparison (both literally and metaphorically) to the boy next to him. Blaine had finally gotten Kurt to the point where he didn't have to wear a shirt every second while at the beach, but he still looked at Blaine's abs with jealousy.

At least that's what he told himself it was.

"Who was your favorite?" Blaine asked, and Kurt noticed that he'd moved his arm away from his eyes.

Kurt blushed and leaned back, closing his eyes immediately, "I was a big fan of Angelica."

"Angelica Pickles? The worst child to ever walk the face of the earth?" Blaine teased lightly and rolled over. He propped his entire body up using his elbow and looked down at Kurt, "Why?"

"Angelica was severely misunderstood," Kurt said without a bit of laughter, "I mean she…"

"Misunderstood?" Blaine broke in with a gasp, "she always steals all the cookies and makes herself sick, she breaks their favorite toys and doesn't care, she tried to rip Chuckie's tooth out, she made Phil and Lil both think they were the rejects, she told them they could get sucked down the drain which made them afraid of bathing, and she fooled the babies into thinking Spike could talk. She probably ruined them for a lifetime! A lifetime, Kurt! They are the ones who are probably in therapy right now!"

"I didn't realize you could have such a vendetta against a young, fictional girl," Kurt was lying on his side now, their faces close together and their eyes sparking as they challenged each other. "That's really pathetic."

Blaine stuck out his bottom lip, "I know: I'm pathetic." His face broke into a gentle smile, "but tell me why Angelica is your favorite."

"She's not my favorite," Kurt let slip, "but I think she was misunderstood. Angelica's parents worked all the time and never really paid attention to her. So then she had Cynthia; Tommy and Chuckie lost Cynthia, and then Cynthia got flushed down the toilet because Angelica just wanted to make her life better. Then because Angelica was holding Cynthia, they both got chased by a goat at the Pickles' Family reunion. So much bad stuff happened to Angelica, but people never noticed it because she was always viewed as the antagonist!"

Blaine nodded, "I guess. But, I had an older brother like Angelica, so I think I know where Tommy was coming from." Blaine bit his lip, "but that still didn't answer my question – who is your favorite character?"

Kurt shifted uncomfortably, "Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Kurt," Blaine's face was serious again, "someone's favorite _Rugrats _character tells me so much about them."

Kurt blinked a few times. He knew that explaining why his favorite character was Chuckie would be different than telling Blaine about Angelica. He sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his head there.

Blaine sat up too, and had a worried look on his face, "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to Kurt."

"No," Kurt took a deep breath, "I never really told anyone, or talked to anyone about this…so it's weird. My favorite character, like yours, is Chuckie…but, for different reasons."

Blaine quirked an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Do you remember the Mother's Day episode?" Kurt asked quietly, not quite meeting Blaine's eyes.

Blaine nodded, already understanding where the conversation was going.

"My mom had cancer," Kurt said quietly, "and they didn't find it until it was too late. There was really nothing they could do for her except make her comfortable," Kurt curled his toes around the towel to give himself something else to do, "Do you remember the scene when Chuckie shows the others the flowers?"

Blaine nodded, his hand moving out to gently rest on Kurt's shoulder.

"I used to um...when things would get really bad at school, I would go to her room and just lay there. I could still smell her perfume coming from the dresser she used to have. Whenever I'm feeling really sad, I go on YouTube and watch the episode again just so I know it isn't….that I'm not weird to do that." Kurt gave a hollow laugh and wiped gently at his tears, "even though Chuckie is years younger than me."

Blaine's eyes radiated sympathy and something else, something Kurt couldn't decipher, "You're not weird, Kurt. Losing someone like that…it's hard because you can't do anything. And even if you could have, you didn't so there's no going back."

Kurt sniffled again, "I just…I wish she could be here. I keep telling myself that if she had been here everything would have been better. My Dad is a great man but there are some things you just need a mother for. I wonder if she had been alive if she would have convinced me to apply to other schools or to go on a different track. I wonder if the bullying would have been as bad or if she would have noticed sooner. I just…I wonder so many things."

Blaine had his arm firmly around Kurt's shoulders now, "Kurt…I'm not…I'm not ready to share that part of my story yet – but I understand. I know what it feels like. But you have to know that it is normal to question things. We have to wonder why we ended up how we are, in the place we are, even if we are completely happy with everything."

Kurt wanted so much to just fall into Blaine's arms and cry for the things he could explain, and the things he couldn't. But now was not the time for it, and he couldn't scare away the only real friend he had anymore.

"I'm not going to run away if you tell me something, you know," Blaine moved Kurt's chin so he was looking directly at Blaine, "you're an amazing person and I wouldn't walk away because you've had some sadness in your life."

Kurt was about to respond with the too familiar ring of Blaine's phone covered the roar of the ocean.

"Sorry," Blaine said with an eye roll and grabbed his phone from the baggy in Kurt's beach bag. His eyes darkened when he looked at the name but he answered cheerfully, "Hello?"

Kurt tried to ignore the conversation by looking around the beach at the other occupants. Beach season didn't officially start until the next weekend, but there were still many tourists who liked to capitalize on the savings by coming during downtime.

"I know…I just needed a break," Kurt heard Blaine explain into the phone, "I know, Coop. But I just….it's one day."

Kurt felt guilty because Blaine had taken the day off to spend with Kurt while Emma and her husband went to a closeout sale at a store in Poughkeepsie.

Blaine let out an exasperated noise before standing quickly and stalking off toward a less densely populated part of the beach. A small red mark appeared on his back that Kurt knew showed whenever he was excited but apparently showed when he was angry as well. Blaine's hands were flying as he yelled into the phone, but Kurt could only see his mouth moving.

"Hello," a boy with blonde spiky hair and a pair of black board shorts held out his hand, "I'm Paul."

"Kurt," Kurt couldn't help but be suspicious as he shook the boy's hand.

"Are you from around here?" the boy sat down on Blaine's towel and crossed his legs.

Kurt found that the simplest answer was always "yes" so he wouldn't have to explain himself, "I am. I live in the Victorian right there," Kurt pointed to Meg's house.

"Awesome," the boy's blue eyes sparkled, "So that means you know all of the cool places to go around here?"

"I wouldn't say that."

The boy laughed loudly at the joke, "Well, I was wondering then if maybe I could take you out tonight?"

Kurt's voice stuck in his throat, "You mean like…on a date?" the words were out of his mouth quickly. He looked to Blaine for help. What if the boy just wanted someone to hang out with? What if he was going to be offended?

"Of course, silly," Paul's smile was huge as he leaned closer, "Can I pick you up around six?"

Kurt nodded dumbly, still confused about exactly what had happened.

"Great! I can't wait to see you, Kurt," the boy stood and ran back to his towel on the beach. He scooped up a small girl and threw her into the air.

"What was that about?" Blaine asked lightly as he sat back down, his smile from earlier gone from his face.

"That was Paul, he just asked me out," Kurt was bubbly and excited – he'd never been on a proper date or any date before."

Blaine's face remained passive, "Wow! He's quite a catch. We watch his little sister in the morning. His Dad is a huge CEO in some green boat company."

Kurt was a little angry that Blaine showed no jealousy, but swept it away. "I'm so…I just hope it isn't a joke."

A look of annoyance flashed on Blaine's face, "Why would it be a joke?"

Kurt laughed, "Just look at me, I'm not exactly desirable."

Blaine actually laughed out loud, "You are kidding, aren't you?"

Kurt self consciously curled back into the ball, "No. I'm not."

"Kurt," Blaine's face changed to one of pitying, "you are absolutely amazing. You're so intelligent that it makes me want to curl up with a dictionary at night. You're hilarious in a way that isn't common or crude. You've overcome so much and you're finally starting to come out of your shell and I adore that about you. And Kurt, you're gorgeous. The first time I saw you I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. I cannot believe no one has told you any of that before. I can't believe you haven't had a million boyfriends by now. Every man and woman who sees you probably prays to something every single night that they get the chance to call you theirs. I hate that something in your life has made you this way, Kurt. But I'm also thrilled that I get to witness you experience all of it. This is the life you should have – a life where you have friends," he pointed to himself, "dates," he pointed toward Paul, "and happiness."

"But what if it was a joke?" Kurt asked in the still small voice.

"It wasn't," Blaine moved so that he was sitting across from Kurt, their knees now touching. "He's been looking at you all morning."

"Are you sure?" Kurt needed the reassurance.

"I'm positive," Blaine looked down at his legs for a few seconds, "now tell me about this date."

Kurt wanted to burst – he was going on a date. A real date, a date where the guy was attracted to him and would pay for it. "Well, he's taking me out to dinner…and that's all I really know."

Blaine nodded quickly, "Of course, the classic. Can't go wrong with that as a first date."

Kurt nodded, "I still can't believe it. I just never thought my first date would happen like this."

Blaine stood and dusted his pants off, "Come on, let's go plan your outfit and Paul won't even know what hit him."

* * *

><p>At 5:45 Kurt ran down the steps at full speed. He wanted to be ready to go when Paul rang the doorbell.<p>

"Well, well, well, don't you look nice," Meg asked from her spot on the sofa. She had a Cup of Noodles in one hand and a romance novel in the other hand. Kurt scoffed lightly at the long haired man with his arms around a woman dressed as a pirate.

Kurt looked down at his own outfit. After hours of planning, he and Blaine had decided on a pair of brown boat shoes, tight jeans (because the wind made the night colder) and dark blue t-shirt, and a soft gray cardigan. It wasn't something Kurt normally would wear, but Blaine was positive Paul would like the outfit. "I'm going on a date," Kurt said excitedly. Meg had been out working on her other houses all day and he hadn't gotten he chance to tell her.

"Oh? You and Blaine, huh?" She laughed and slurped down a few noodles, "I knew it was only a matter of time."

"No, actually," Kurt couldn't help but feel annoyed; "his name is Paul."

"Paul?" Meg set down the cup, "I just thought…"

Kurt didn't want to be annoyed going into his first date so he simply turned to the mirror and fixed his hair, "Blaine and I are just friends."

Meg didn't look convinced but leaned back on the chair, "And who is this Paul?"

Kurt bit his lip, "I don't know much else, really. He just asked me out today on the beach. But Blaine told me he'd been staring at me the entire time."

"Kurt that isn't safe," Meg warned, "you don't know anything about him? I thought Blaine had his head on his shoulders better than that. I saw him helping you with your outfit earlier."

Kurt was very annoyed at this point, "Look, I don't need people protecting me. No one protected me while I was in high school. I can take care of myself and make my own decisions. Even if Blaine had told me it was going to be a bad idea, I wouldn't have listened. Don't make him seem like the bad guy."

Meg put her hands up, "Woah, Mr. Attitude, I'm not making anyone the bad guy. I just wanted to warn you to be careful."

Kurt hated being mad at people, but he knew what he was doing.

The doorbell rang and Kurt turned to Meg, "I'll be back early enough for you to know I'm safe."

Meg nodded but looked unhappy as Kurt walked out of the door.

"Hi!" Paul said with a huge smile on his face. Kurt glanced down at his outfit and couldn't tell if he approved. Paul was wearing loose jeans, ratty white sneakers, a button down shirt, and a purple tie. But he was cute, so Kurt took his offered arm.

"Hello yourself!" Kurt grinned at him, "Where are we off to?"

"A little restaurant on the border of Cape May and Wildwood," Paul answered as he walked them to a motorcycle, "I hope you're not afraid of going fast?"

Kurt looked at the motorcycle and swallowed thickly, "I am a little nervous…"

"Don't be," Paul winked, "You'll be safe with me."

Paul handed Kurt the helmet and put his own over his head, "It's only a ten minute drive," his voice came out muffled through the helmet but Kurt understood.

Paul jumped onto the motorcycle first and moved forward enough to let Kurt on the back. Kurt climbed on somewhat awkwardly and moved himself far enough away from Paul so that it wouldn't be awkward.

"You can hold on, you know?" Paul joked.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Paul's waist and nodded. He didn't press his whole body against Paul, but did have to move closer once the bike started.

They wove easily and slowly through the streets of Cape May. Something told Kurt that if he had been willing to, they would have gone much faster.

They went faster as they made their way toward the expressway, and Kurt had to hold on more as they drove. He counted down the minutes until he could have both feet on solid ground; he felt like he was going to fall off the back but when he shifted he felt like he was going to fall off the front.

They arrived at a huge restaurant a few minutes later. Kurt was thankful for solid ground as he stumbled a bit when he got off of the bike. "That was…interesting," he admitted.

Paul grinned and pulled the helmet off of his head, "You'll get used to it. I promise."

Kurt's heart thrilled at the thought of going on a second date. He'd always assumed his first date would lead to nothing but memories. "Shall we?"

"Sure," Paul grabbed his arm again, and they walked into the restaurant. "Reservations under Perkins, please?"

"Of course, right this way," the hostess led them to a table for two out on the bay. "Your server will be with you in a few minutes."

Kurt glanced down at the table and then back up at Paul who was looking at him intently, "Tell me about yourself, Kurt."

Kurt crossed his legs – he'd be practicing this question all day. He didn't want to put too much out on the line, but he wanted to be honest. "I'm from Ohio. I came here this summer to just get away from everything there. I'm working in a tailor shop now. I'm really…I really like fashion," Kurt finished lamely. For some reason, telling him more didn't feel right.

Paul nodded, "That's interesting. Why fashion?"

"It is a way to express yourself that they can't really take away from you. I sing too."

Paul nodded, "Do you have college plans?"

Kurt felt like the date was starting to turn into an interrogation session, "Not at the moment. I've been waitlisted at a few places in New York though. How about you?"

Paul smiled and ducked his head bashfully, "I guess that was getting to be a CSI episode, right? I'm from Pennsylvania and my family is here on vacation. My dad is working with Cape May to try to lay down a greener cleaning system. I'm really all about the environment. I'm going to UNC next year as a bio major. I really like basketball, and I hope I can play all four years there. I'm really not very good though," Paul blushed, "but I like it, so I keep doing it."

Kurt nodded enthusiastically, "Right? You don't have to amazing at your passions. Sometimes you just have to do it because you love it."

"I find it hard to believe you have ever been bad at anything," Paul smiled over his drink.

The waitress came back, "Okay, I have the stuffed lobster for you," she placed the huge plate in front of Paul, "and the broiled seafood for you," she grinned down at Kurt, "Can I get either of you anything else?"

"No," they both said in unison before laughing at each other and starting to eat their meal.

The meal was relatively quiet. They made small talk about their lives, never really getting into details.

When they were done eating, Kurt theorized that the date had been pretty good. It may not have been what he thought his first date would be, but he was happy.

Happy to be wanted, happy to be accepted.

The date ended with a promise of another date, phone numbers, and a brief kiss on the cheek.

Kurt smiled to himself as he walked up the stairs for bed, knocking gently on Meg's door to let her know he was home.

"Was it amazing?" Meg asked from behind her book.

"It was nice," Kurt responded, "we'll probably go out again."

Meg nodded, "Good, I'm glad you finally found someone Kurt."

Kurt's phone started ringing and he looked down and grinned, "Sorry I couldn't talk more. This is Blaine. Lady chat tomorrow?"

Meg laughed and nodded, "Lady chat tomorrow."

"Hello darling," Kurt said dramatically.

Blaine's laugh was infectious from the other side of the phone, "Don't let Paul hear you call me darling. How was your date, hot shot?"

"Great," Kurt said happily as he closed his door.

"That's a lot of time and effort you put into the answer, I'm proud of you," Blaine joked.

"Sorry! I just…oh dear lord, I'm putting you on speaker," Kurt was trying to wrestle out of his too tight jeans.

"Romeo throwing pebbles at your window?" Blaine joked again.

"No, I'm just trying to get out of these pants."

"Is he still there?" Blaine joked, horrified.

"No! I will never put out on a first date. I'm not that kind of boy." Kurt finally pulled on his sweatpants and grabbed the phone. "But it was really nice. We went to the Lobster House and then talked for awhile."

"Was it everything you wanted it to be?" Blaine asked, obviously tired.

"Yes and no, but I suppose it's better than what I wanted, because it was real," Kurt admitted.

Blaine made an undecipherable noise on the other end of the phone, but said nothing.

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><p><strong>Reviews are always lovely.<strong>


	9. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me

**AN: First of all, thank you so much for reading! I got a ton of new readers this week alone. Second, some people were asking for more about Cape May so this chapter has one of my favorite traditions about Cape May. Also, this is slight filler but there are TONS of hints about Blaine in this...and a hint about someone else.**

**Chapter 9**

Kurt woke with a start when he heard the all too familiar clangs, groans, and sputters of his father's truck. It was early, far earlier than Kurt had expected Burt to make his way to Cape May for the official first weekend of the season, but Kurt was wide awake with anticipation of seeing his family again.

He threw the door open and nearly tripped over his own boots that he had let fall on the floor in the hallway after a date with Paul the night before. It had only been their second date, but it was supposed to mean a lot to Kurt because he'd finally gotten what he'd waited nearly eighteen years for – his first kiss.

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><p>"<em>Kurt," Paul looked deep into Kurt's eyes, searching them for some sort of approval, "You really…I mean, you really mean a lot to me."<em>

_Kurt licked his lips because he knew it was coming. He knew that Paul was going to kiss him there on the doorstep outside of his Aunt's house. "You too," he said to Paul, not entirely sure if he meant the words._

_He'd hoped the kiss would tell him._

_Paul leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Kurt's, feather light at first but he seemed to gain confidence and press in further. _

_Kurt's hands twined around the back of Paul's neck and pulled him in. He was determined to feel something. This was technically his third kiss, and he knew one day one of them had to mean something._

_Paul smiled against his lips and stepped closer, his fingertips pressing into Kurt's hips as his tongue pressed into his mouth. Kurt curled his toe in his shoes and shot up a little higher, making them equal height._

_When they pulled apart, Paul was grinning wildly. Kurt smiled back but felt…different._

_He had just received his first kiss and he was ecstatic, but it felt weird._

_His life had changed in many ways over the last few weeks, but this was by far the biggest change of all._

_Someone, a very attractive someone, wanted him. _

_Wanted to kiss him._

_Wanted to hold him._

_Wanted to be there for him._

_Kurt bit his lip before leaning back in again._

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><p>Kurt burst through the front door of the house, pausing only to remove the chain that locked the door. "Dad!" he yelled, uncaring that the neighbors and vacationers around him were probably still asleep.<p>

It hadn't struck Kurt how much he would miss his father. How much he wanted to be around him. He had prepared himself for going to New York, or at least he thought. There had been a physical void in Kurt that he didn't even know was there until the piece was back in place.

He hugged his father tightly, and Burt held him just as close. "I missed you kid," he breathed, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Dad," Kurt said softly.

Burt pulled back but held Kurt at arm's length, "This place is doing you good though. You look great. You look…" Burt squinted, "Happy."

Kurt looked down and thought for a moment, "I am," he said, "I found a friend or two that like me for me, and I love what I'm doing for the dress shop. It's not New York, but it's special."

"Your crazy aunt taking good care of you?" Burt asked as he unpacked the back of the car.

"She is." Kurt laughed as he grabbed one of the bags, "No, let me take that. Carol will kill me if you tell her you carried these heavy bags."

Burt relented but not without a sour look on his face, "She misses you too. You know," he didn't quite look up to meet Kurt's eyes, "you could always come home."

Kurt shook his head, "I'm happy here, Dad. I have Blaine, I have Rachel, I have Paul…"

"Who's Paul?" Burt immediately transformed into a completely different man, "Is he your boyfriend?"

"No!" Kurt held up his hands. He couldn't have his Dad hating the first person that was close to being his boyfriend. "He's…we've been on a few dates though."

"And?" Burt raised his eyebrows.

Kurt wanted to tell his father, he really did. He wanted him to know exactly what he felt and that his life was already getting better. Part of Kurt knew that the reason he acted like he was so happy all the time in high school was because he wanted his father to be the happy one. Burt worked so hard to make everything in Kurt's life okay, to allow nothing to hurt him. Kurt still wasn't sure how he felt about Paul, so he just said the first things that came to his mind: "He's amazing, Dad. He's sweet, he's cute, he's absolutely amazing."

Burt raised his eyebrows, "Only a few dates? You could have fooled me."

Kurt blushed but said nothing, "Meg!" he yelled through the halls, "Dad is here!"

Meg ran down the stairs dressed in something that looked presentable. Kurt stared; the only thing he had seen her wear over the past few weeks were t-shirts and pants that didn't button.

"You look nice," he remarked while pulling lint from the netting of the shirt she was wearing, "what is the occasion?"

"It is the Cape May picnic," Meg said as if it was obvious. Upon receiving a look from Kurt she explained, "The picnic. You know, the one we've been preparing food for since Tuesday? The one I have every year that we invite all of the kids that live in my houses? The one you invited Paul and Blaine to?"

"Oh!" Burt wrapped his younger sister in a hug, "You mean I finally get to meet Blaine? On our last few phone conversations he is the only person you talk about."

Kurt turned his head so no one would see the blush that had broken out over his face. It sucked because he still felt _something_ for Blaine. He didn't really know what it was, and he wasn't sure he could even give it a name, but it was there.

He had just hoped he would be able to hide it better.

Burt seemed to sense Kurt's awkwardness, "So who is all coming to this picnic?"

Meg was already cleaning more cut up vegetables. Kurt had gotten the opinion that this was probably the biggest event of the year for her, "A bunch of the boys who live in the house down by the bay and their families that came. It's a huge event really, been happening since the mid 1950s. Pretty much everyone has a picnic with their families and friends and then you can go walking around the town and just enjoying a night when it is mostly just us."

Kurt knew the tiny town that was so quiet was about to change. Meg had been warning him to do everything he really wanted to do now, because the middle of June brought with it a bunch of people that made every city by the coastline a huge mess.

Kurt grabbed a carrot stick, handed his father one, and hopped onto a stool, "So does that mean I'll get to meet everyone's parents?"

"Those that come out," Meg reasoned, "I know of at least one person who won't have anyone here, but I'm sure there will be others."

"Who won't?"

Meg looked up from the celery she had in her hand and sighed, "Blaine."

Kurt shrugged, "I mean, he is from Ohio too. I'm sure not everyone can make the drive that quickly."

Meg didn't answer him and instead went back to cutting up the celery.

* * *

><p>Burt looked up from his plate of food, "So when is this boy of yours getting here?"<p>

"Blaine should be here soon," Kurt answered automatically as he watched Puck and Sam play volleyball. He kept wondering when the ball was going to fly over and hit him "by accident" but really just because they didn't like him.

Kurt was still convinced they hated him because he was more feminine than Blaine. Though, from what Blaine said, they were always playing jokes on him too.

"You know, I wasn't talking about Blaine," Burt said casually as he cringed at the taste of the diet coke Kurt had forced him to drink, "I was talking about Paul."

Kurt nearly choked on his food, "Oh, I don't really know. I just told him it started at five."

Kurt surveyed the backyard of the giant house. Meg had just finished having the lawn landscaped and it really did look nice. Everything was a plush green and the walkways were embellished with smooth stones of different shades of white.

Kurt had been wrong about not everyone having family. Almost everyone had someone with them. The long exceptions were Puck and Quinn who had families that were having their own picnics but they at least still had each other.

The tell-tale squeak of the back gate alerted Kurt to someone's presence. He turned quickly to see Blaine walking through the grass. He wore white boat shoes, white cut-off shorts and a red polo. "I made cookies! I wasn't sure what you guys would want so I kind of made like six different batches. I was worried that someone would be allergic to something so I packaged them all apart from each other."

Kurt laughed and took the Tupperware containers, "Thank you, Blaine. My father is going to gorge himself on these tonight."

"Your d-dad is here?" Blaine suddenly went pale.

Kurt nodded and motioned to Blaine's other bag, "What have you got there?"

"Oh," Blaine shifted the bag, "Just my uniform for work tonight."

Kurt let out a huff of indignation, "You mean you have work tonight? Blaine you work like sixteen hours a day, you can't take a day off?"

"Nope," Blaine popped his lips on the last letter, "Sorry."

"You're insufferable," Kurt put his hands on his hips, "What if I kidnap you and keep you hostage and you can't go to work?"

Blaine put on a face of mock horror, "Well then I'd get fired!"

"Then I would have you all to myself all the time," Kurt answered with a purr, "Wouldn't that be nice."

Blaine kept up the charade, "They'd find me, you know. Puck and Mike would wonder where I was and they'd come looking."

"So this must be Paul," Burt broke in between the boys, "It's nice to meet you kid, I have to say I've never seen Kurt here look so happy."

Blaine laughed, "I'm actually Blaine, but it's nice to meet you anyway. I'm just second in line here in Cape May."

Kurt felt an unfamiliar pang in his heart. Did Blaine really feel like he was second in line to Kurt? Sure, Paul was a great guy, but Blaine was amazing. Kurt didn't know how to vocalize this without sounding weird, so he allowed it to slide by.

"Blaine," Burt clarified, "Wow, okay. Sorry about the confusion. I don't really get too many details about Kurt's life down here."

Blaine was still obviously nervous about meeting Burt, "Well I'll make sure he reports back more fully, sir."

"I'm not a sir," Burt mumbled, "I'm Burt."

Blaine laughed, "Okay, Burt, I will make sure Kurt is more vocal on his telephone calls home."

Burt nodded, "You better go get some food, Blaine. Those boys you live with are merciless on the chicken dip."

"You're telling me, I have to hide everything I want under my bed," Blaine grabbed a plate and started putting small portions of food on top."

"You can eat more than that," Kurt said kindly, putting another muffin onto the plate, "You're losing weight because you don't eat at work."

"You don't get paid if you take too long of a lunch break," Blaine clarified.

"Why do you have so many jobs anyway?" Kurt complained, "Don't you want to live your life?"

"I am," Blaine said simply, "but it just isn't the right time for me to go lazy and try not to do anything."

"No fighting boys," Meg refilled the chips bowl, "Or I'll be forced to pair you together for the water balloon toss."

Blaine's face lit up, "I had forgotten about that! It's always been my favorite. One year my Dad and I were paired up and we beat everyone else on the beach!"

Kurt grinned at Blaine's sudden childlike nature, "So you used to come here as a family?"

Blaine's smile dropped, "Yes, a long time ago. We were only here for non-tourist seasons though because my Dad would always go to Europe around this time." He hurried down the line, only picking a few more things off of the table.

"Hey Kurt," someone said behind him, and Kurt had to turn around only to duck away from Paul's lips.

"Not in front of my Dad," Kurt laughed once he recovered, "but hello," he wrapped his arms around Paul's waist.

Paul untangled himself after a few seconds and started piling food on a plate, "This all looks awesome."

"Hmm…" stared at his plate which was nearly bending in half at the amount of food he was piling on it. "I have to build my strength up for this water balloon toss. Partners, right?"

"Of course!" Kurt beamed and pressed a quick kiss on Paul's cheek.

"Who are you pairing with, Blaine?" Meg asked a little more loudly than she normally would. Kurt didn't miss the look on her face or the sad look on Blaine's. He was worried that Blaine was still going to feel like he was being forgotten just because Kurt suddenly had someone interested.

Kurt already had a headache – how did people with more than two friends do it? Were they all constantly jealous of each other? Kurt worried his lip and tried to figure out if Blaine would pair with one of the boys he lived with.

"He can be my partner," Burt said with a grin, "I figure between the two of us we have the age," he motioned to himself, "and the beauty," he pointed to himself again. "I'm just kidding, you can be the beauty!"

Blaine let out a genuine laugh and walked off, Kurt thought they were probably already planning a strategy – his father had a very competitive streak in him.

"Alone," Paul said quietly as he ate a hotdog, "Your Dad seems...nice."

Kurt wanted to smack himself, "I'm sorry I didn't introduce him to you! I didn't even think!"

Paul shrugged, "It's cool. It's a little early to meet the parents anyway, isn't it?"

Kurt nodded, "I guess so. I just...I've never really done this before."

Paul's face twisted into one of understanding, "Oh! Kurt, it's fine. We just...it's simple, it's casual right now. We just go with the flow. We don't need to meet parents or do anything like that."

Kurt wished for the millionth time that he had learned all of the social cues in high school so he wouldn't be so dreadful at them all now. "I'm sorry, I didn't think."

"Don't apologize," Paul kissed his cheek and continued eating, "but maybe we should go sit with your Dad and Blaine? Don't want them talking too much strategy!"

"If we lose we lose," Kurt said, but he pulled Paul up so they could walk over to the two men who appeared to be having a very animated conversation.

"It's hard for me to say exactly why I love "A Day In The Life" but it is easily my favorite," Blaine had put his plate down and was talking animatedly, "I just love the epicness of it! It just starts nice and slow and then it builds to this amazing juxtaposition of sounds, cords, and words that make you want to weep!"

Burt nods, "I think that's a good one too…I'm not sure it is a favorite but…"

"How can it not be a favorite?" Blaine interrupted, "That final piano cord? That massive note that makes every hair on your arms, legs, and back stand up straight?"

"Ew, you have back hair?" Kurt gave Blaine his best disgusted face, "and here I thought you were perfect."

Paul coughed next to him but said nothing.

"Not now Kurt," Burt was still looking at Blaine, "Blaine, you have to consider "Yesterday!"

Blaine nodded slowly, "It's a great song but I mean…"

"A great song?" Burt looked like someone had just told him the sky was orange, "The nostalgia in that song is amazing! I actually danced to that at my wedding. At my wedding!"

Blaine laughed loudly again, "Isn't that a bit of a down for a wedding?"

Burt shrugged, "My wife didn't care! She loved the Beatles too!"

Kurt was about to interject with his own personal favorite when Meg screamed loudly, "Okay! Since our favorite curly haired cutie cannot stay much longer, we need to get this water balloon toss started!"

"You need to leave soon?" Burt actually looked sad.

Blaine nodded, "I have to get ready for work, but if you all go downtown you will most likely see me. I walk around with three other guys and sing."

"Will I see you again?" Burt's eyes were wide as he stared at Blaine getting up.

Blaine laughed but nodded, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Burt replied.

Blaine shook his head, "Then I'm afraid not. I work from 8 to 12 playing piano at the church, then 1 to 7 in the promenade singing and driving. Will you be around after 7?"

Burt shook his head, "I have to leave early afternoon."

"Well, then I guess we better win so you have only good memories of me," Blaine said, running toward the bucket of balloons.

"Line up!" Meg called loudly, "I'm only going to explain this once! Every year since God knows when, this has been a tradition on the last day before hell breaks open and the tourists come. You will start three feet apart and hand each other the balloon. Every time you successfully past the balloon, you take a step backwards. Eventually, you will have to throw it. Legend has it that the pair that keeps their balloon going the longest will have the best luck all summer."

Kurt thought he was already pretty lucky, but he knew he could be luckier.

Paul walked over holding a large blue balloon. The pair lined up next to Blaine and Burt who had a slightly smaller purple balloon.

"I will tell you when to throw so we have no cheating," Meg looked at Sam and Puck pointedly. "Ready?"

Everyone yelled as Paul and Kurt looked at each other intently.

"THROW!"

Paul handed the balloon to Kurt and they took a step back.

"THROW!"

"THROW!"

"THROW!"  
>"THROW!"<p>

Over half of the groups were out. Paul and Kurt, Puck and Sam, and Blaine and Burt remained in the competition.

"Come on Blaine, I really need a good summer!" Sam called down the line as Blaine barely caught the balloon.

"Shut up Trouty!" Blaine called.

Kurt laughed at the nickname and completely missed the balloon, sending it splashing at his feet.

"THROW!" Meg yelled for a final time and both groups threw their balloons. Puck dove and missed the balloon; it splashed around Quinn's feet.

"YES!" Burt screamed and ran to pick up Blaine, throwing him over his shoulders.

"Dad, put him down! You're going to have a heart attack!" Kurt laughed.

"Shut up, Kurt!" Blaine laughed and threw the balloon at him, hitting his head and drenching him.

Kurt froze up and felt the water hit him. It took him back to high school when he would get slushied everyday. He stared up at Blaine and felt his heart beating quickly; it was the only thing he could hear. His breath came out in short puffs as he watched everyone laughing round him. Kurt turned and ran to the house, rubbing his eyes furiously.

"Kurt!" Blaine ran after him, letting himself into the house. "Kurt! It was a joke!"

"Yeah, just like it was in high school?" Kurt stood above him on the stairs, "That wasn't funny for me. Do you like humiliating me?"

Blaine moved up the steps and grabbed Kurt around his waist, helping him up the rest of the stairs and moving him toward the bathroom. "Sit on the sink."

Blaine knelt down and rummaged through the closet and found a towel, "Did the sunscreen get in your eyes?"

Kurt nodded, now more embarrassed at the way he acted, "I'm sorry I overacted."

"Hey," Blaine cupped Kurt's face through the towel, "High school fucked most of us up."

Kurt was taken aback at Blaine's language but laughed, "I guess so."

Blaine wiped Kurt's face gently, removing any moisture, "I have to get going, but promise me you'll come to the promenade tonight? I'll sing for you."

Kurt nodded, "Of course. We'll all be there."

* * *

><p>"I'm just saying that this place is overrated," Paul argued, "the shopping isn't that great. How many porcelain dolls can you look at?"<p>

"We're only here for Blaine," Kurt reminded him, "My Dad would positively cry if he didn't see Blaine again. I swear, they are going to get married. I'll have to warn Carole."

The sound of doo-wopping hit Kurt's ears and his Dad jumped, "Look! There's Blaine!"

Kurt saw four boys standing on the edge of a fountain singing together, but none of them were Blaine. Blaine was walking around the crowd smiling and winking at the women. He turned and saw everyone he knew, and started moving toward them.

Before he arrived at them he started singing.

_Hold me, hold me  
>And never let me go until you've told me, told me<br>What I want to know and then just hold me, hold me  
>Make me tell you I'm in love with you<em>

Kurt wanted to melt at the sound of his voice. He was still dancing around and happy, turning to an older soccer mom and winking at the last line. He arrived at their group and grabbed Quinn, spinning her around.

_Thrill me (thrill me), thrill me (thrill me)  
>Walk me down the lane where shadows<br>will be (will be) will be (will be)  
>Hiding lovers just the same as we'll be, we'll be<br>When you make me tell you I love you_

He let go of Quinn and went to grab Meg, but instead turned and sang to Burt, who was overjoyed at the attention.

_They told me "Be sensible with your new love"  
>"Don't be fooled, thinking this is the last you'll find"<br>But they never stood in the dark with you, love  
>When you take me in your arms<br>and drive me slowly out of my mind_

He turned to Kurt when he sang "slowly out of my mind" and pointed. His finger then beckoned Kurt closer to him, grabbing him and playfully pushing Burt away. They danced in the middle of the square, Blaine spinning Kurt at random times while singing.

_Kiss me (kiss me), kiss me (kiss me)  
>And when you do, I'll know that you<br>will miss me (miss me), miss me (miss me)  
>If we ever say "Adieu", so kiss me, kiss me<br>Make me tell you I'm in love with you._

Blaine twirled Kurt back toward Paul and let him go, moving to another group. Blaine went for a girl with dark brown hair, but the group pushed forward a tall boy with green eyes and wavy brown hair. Blaine laughed midsong but took the boy and started dancing with him.

_(Kiss me) kiss me, (kiss me) kiss me  
>When you do, I'll know that you will<br>miss me (miss me), miss me (miss me)  
>If we ever say "Adieu" so kiss me, kiss me<br>Make me tell you I'm in love with you_

Blaine dipped the boy and Kurt felt something bubble in his stomach. He only wanted Blaine to dance with him. This boy was not good enough for Blaine, was not special enough for Blaine, nor was he cute enough for Blaine.

"Easy boy, he's only dancing," Meg whispered in his ear as they watched.

Blaine ran back to the fountain and finished the song loudly, pointing out toward the crowd, and Kurt couldn't help but wonder if he was pointing to the boy who was now blushing furiously.

_Hold me, thrill me  
>Never, never, never let me go<br>Hold me, thrill me, never, never, never let me go_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Song is Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me!<strong>  
><em>

_**Let me know what you think!**_


	10. I Was Taken By Your Smile in Sea Isle

**Hello everyone! I know a lot of you REALLY dislike Paul, but just give him a chance. :) Thank you again for reading!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

That Sunday the three boys found themselves sitting on the porch watching the waves roll against the shoreline. The tourist season was upon then, and people were running around on the beach still in their wrinkled travel clothes.

"I love to see people just let go and have fun when they first get to the beach," Blaine commented, "It's like they have a week where they can finally let go and have fun."

"What would you know about fun?" Kurt teased gently from his spot on the porch swing, "All you do is work!"

Blaine stuck his tongue out but laughed lightly, "Still, I get to work with the people who come here now. I get to see the little kids that come through the hotel, and I get to be with them until they leave."

Paul stiffened next to Kurt but then relaxed once Kurt smoothed his hand down his back, "Still don't you want to have fun?" Paul questioned.

"I'm having fun," Blaine countered, "I get to spend nights with either Kurt or my housemates, and I get to sing, play with kids, and make other people happy. That's what I like to do," he pointedly stared at Paul.

"Whatever, I just think you should let loose a little."

Blaine didn't respond and instead flipped upside down on the railing of the porch, sending Kurt into a fit about the safety, "I know we just had that fixed Blaine, but it could already be dry rotted! You're going to fall, and then I'm going to have to go sit with you, and you know I hate hospitals."

Blaine brought one leg to the ground and stood up, the blood slowly leaving his face, "Aw Kurt, you'd go sit in the hospital with me?" Blaine's mood that day had changed continually – he had been slightly off all day, but Kurt blamed that on his new list of kids he had to watch that week.

Paul nuzzled into Kurt's shoulder, "Only if he wasn't cuddling with me."

"I highly doubt cuddling with you is more important than my fractured skull," Blaine rolled his eyes and leaned against the pillar.

Kurt didn't know why, but earlier that day Blaine had made a quick personality swap and disliked Paul. He snapped at him several times and nearly pushed him out of the way to hug Kurt. It bothered Kurt that Blaine seemed to be jealous of the time they were spending together. After all, Paul seemed to be the first real chance Kurt had at having an actual boyfriend.

Though, neither of them really said the word.

Paul just shifted closer to Kurt and frowned, "I suppose not, that's why you shouldn't perform tricks like a circus trapeze act."

Kurt snorted a little, "I think he's a bit short to do that kind of act, Paul." He really didn't want to make Blaine feel badly, but he had to admit the fighting was grating on his nerves slightly.

Blaine pushed himself off of the column and started down the steps, "You know what? I don't really feel like standing around here. I'm off to bed; I have to be at work early tomorrow. You know, with your baby sister who you can't even be with." He looked pointedly at Paul, and the two seemed to stare at each other. Kurt wished he could understand their conversation but was left out of the loop.

"Blaine, don't leave," Kurt said while trying to sound half-hearted. He knew Blaine didn't really get along well with his housemates, and the night was still early.

"No," Blaine grabbed his bag off of the grass, "I really should go. I have to call my mom before…I just have to call my mom."

Kurt sighed but waved, "Talk to you tomorrow?"

Blaine turned around and shrugged, "If you really want to."

"He's touchy," Paul whispered into Kurt's ear, "Maybe he's PMSing?"

Kurt knew he should laugh at the joke but didn't, "We shouldn't antagonize him."

Paul pulled away from Kurt and frowned, "I know. I just…I don't like when people work away their lives. My Dad does that. We've been on vacation how long? He's never around. He always works. He only takes us out as a family right before we leave."

"It's his life," Kurt said with some guilt. He didn't want to talk about Blaine behind his back. "I'm sure there's a reason he works so much."

"Maybe he's homeless," Paul tried, "or his parents were murdered by the mafia."

Kurt pushed himself off of the swing, "You have an overactive imagination, and I think it's time I go to bed."

Paul pouted, "But it's early!"

"I know," Kurt pulled Paul off of the swing as well, "but I need my beauty rest."

Paul leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's lips, "I don't think you do."

Kurt blushed lightly but pushed Paul gently down the steps, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course! Sea Isle, baby!"

Kurt blew him a kiss and walked into the house, immediately pulling out his phone.

"Hello?" Blaine's voice came through the phone sounding somewhat upset.

"Do you care to tell me what happened today?" Kurt wasn't as mad as his voice made him sound, he was really worried.

Blaine sighed, "I just…I really don't like Paul."

"I can tell. Care to tell me why?" Kurt sat down on the stool next to Meg and rolled his eyes to her.

Blaine was silent for a few beats, "I just…are you sure he's a good idea, Kurt?"

Kurt frowned – he had no idea what Blaine meant by a good idea. "He's a good guy, Blaine. You would know that if you gave him a chance instead of latching onto anyone else in the general area whenever he was around."

"I'm sorry," Blaine sounded tired, "I…can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm on the phone with my Mom and I don't really…She can't…I want to…I mean, I just need to talk to her about some stuff right now. I'll make it up to you somehow."

Kurt sighed, "You can make it up to me by coming to Sea Isle with us tomorrow?"

"Us as in you and Paul?" Blaine sounded like he didn't want to but answered, "I work in the morning but I'll see what Puck will say about me taking the afternoon off," Blaine paused again, "I really have to go, but we'll talk tomorrow."

"Bye," Kurt said, not even sure if Blaine heard because the line immediately went dead.

"Boy problems?" Meg asked with a huge smile, "Let me guess – you have to pick between Paul, the good looking rich boy, and Blaine, the tormented boy that makes you happy?"

"You're weird," Kurt answered with a small smile, "and not really boy problems in that sense. Blaine hates Paul, and I have no idea why. Paul doesn't really have anything against Blaine; he just likes to antagonize him."

"Well that's boring," Meg sighed, "I can't even get entertainment from you."

Kurt knew she was kidding but he stuck his nose high into the air, "Well I'm sorry my life isn't dramatic enough for you nowadays. I finally have something good – a boy who has feelings for me, a best friend, and a job that I love."

"Put your talons away and save them for when Paul and Blaine inevitably try to kill each other," Meg threw a piece of cereal at him and left the kitchen with a giggle.

Kurt didn't want to let either boy know how much is bothered him that they didn't seem to get along. Paul tried to be nice and include Blaine, but he always stuck in a comment or two that just seemed to annoy the sensitive boy. Blaine had tried for so long to work with Paul, and he ignored the offensive comments until today. What had flipped the switch in Blaine's mind?

Kurt had no idea, but he knew that if he wanted to get through the next day with the two of them together, he would have to bring a very large bottle of Aspirin to ward off any headaches.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Where are we going once we get to Sea Isle?" Kurt asked from his place in the passenger's seat, "a museum? I heard that the museum is having a bridal show with some of the traditional gowns from some of the weddings held. I'd really like to see the gowns from the 1950s-that was when the silhouettes were really beautiful and detailed."

Paul bit his lip, "Oh. I thought we could um…go to the beach and then do the boardwalk? I'm not much of a dress or museum kind of guy…"

"Okay! We can do the beach!" Kurt tried to push down the feelings of sadness, "That sounds like more fun anyway!"

"No! We can do the museum! I'll even put on my most excited face!" Paul dropped his mouth open and bugged his eyes out.

Kurt laughed, "Just keep your eyes on the road. The exhibit will be there all summer but there won't always be days like this to spend on the beach."

Paul reached over and grabbed Kurt's hand, "Thank you."

A small smile played on Kurt's lips, but he said nothing. He was a little worried about how Blaine would react at the beach, however. The boy was driving down by himself in Puck's car which didn't look like it could go very far without flying over a highway. Paul had borrowed his father's car for the day because he was in final meetings with the company and wouldn't need it.

The ride took only a short amount of time, and they were on a beach. Paul quickly fed the meters over $5.00 worth of quarters and they grabbed their huge pile of things for the beach. The beach itself was different from the beaches of Cape May.

Kurt was about to ask Paul why when a huge splash in the water alerted Kurt to the fact that Paul was already swimming away. Kurt laughed and sat down on the towel, watching Paul swim out further and further.

He was only in the water for twenty minutes or so, showing off and body surfing when he came back, dripping wet. He stood directly in front of Kurt and shook, spraying Kurt with the salty, cold water. "Hey!"

Paul laughed and sat next to Kurt, pulling him into a kiss. The coldness of Paul's lips contrasted the warmth of his mouth and Kurt moved to his knees and closer, pushing Paul back into the sand. They kissed lazily for a few minutes before Paul pushed him away, "Let's go into the water, Kurt."

"No," Kurt shook his head, "I don't really like the water."

Paul was about to argue back when Kurt's phone rang out. "I can't believe you brought your phone to the beach!"

"It was for when Blaine called!" Kurt answered his phone quickly, "Hey Blaine! Where are you?" Kurt turned back to Paul only to find him retreating toward the water.

"I'm walking down the beach at 98th street, where are you?" Blaine's phone crackled and Kurt knew they'd lose each other. He turned around and saw the curly haired boy standing at the end of the wooden planks that helped walking. He waved, and Blaine saw him almost immediately, running toward him with a backpack on.

Halfway through the sand Blaine stopped and took off his flip flops, "I'm not as smooth as those Baywatch boys," he joked when he arrived.

"Blaine, you look exhausted!" Kurt gasped, looking at the bags under Blaine's eyes.

Blaine shrugged, "I didn't get much sleep after I got off the phone with my Mom last night. But I promised you I'd be here. Sorry I'm a little late – I had to make a few deliveries on the way down."

Kurt folded the extra blanket he brought and laid a towel out for Blaine, "Here, take a nap."

"No!' Blaine sat on the end of Kurt's towel, "I'm here to spend time with you."

Blaine pulled off his t-shirt and stretched his arms behind him. Kurt had to force himself to look away. It wasn't fair that his best friend was actually gorgeous. "I should work out," Kurt said quietly to himself."

"No," Blaine peeked at him with one open eye, "you're perfect."

Kurt wanted nothing more than to just pick up a handful of sand and throw it at him.

That reminded him, "Hey Blaine, do you know why the sand is different here?"

"Because the sand at Cape May in brought in from somewhere else," Blaine answered lazily.

"Oh. I like it though."

Blaine laughed a little, "Some things aren't meant to be where they started…they belong somewhere else."

"That was philosophical," Kurt deadpanned.

Blaine sat up, "Just for that, I'm going to make you go stick your toes in the water."

"You wouldn't," Kurt shook his head.

"Come on, you can't sit on the towel all day and watch everyone else have fun. You have to grab the bull by the horns! Live each day like it's your last! You have to bend over backwards! Let's cut to the chase! I can't think of any more idioms!" Blaine was yelling at this point.

"Oh my god if you shut up, I'll go," Kurt laughed and stood up, wiping sand off of his legs, "Happy?"

"Ecstatic!" Blaine ran toward the water, giving Kurt a very nice view.

Kurt walked slowly, letting his toes get used to the water and then his feet.

Paul body surfed in and stopped in front of the two boys, "I see you finally decided to come in the water!"

Kurt shrugged, "Blaine threatened to talk my ear off if I didn't come in."

Paul shot Blaine an easy smile. Blaine didn't smile back, but he didn't say anything which Kurt thought was an improvement.

Paul seemed to realize that he wasn't going to get a rise out of Blaine, so he jumped back into the water, putting on a little show for both boys.

Kurt walked forward into the water more, now it pooled around his calves. He held his arms out almost fully to balance in the water. It was more complicated than it looked because the undercurrent was strong and the sand kept shifting beneath his toes. "This even feels different," he stuttered out, "I feel like I'm going to fall."

Blaine reached out and grabbed his hand, "I won't let you fall."

Kurt held on tightly, not even caring about Paul. "So what did you do with the kids today?" He wanted to get his mind off of the water and onto something else he could focus his attention on.

Blaine moved closer to Kurt, "We went on a dolphin watching trip."

Kurt felt his heart flutter, "There are dolphins around?"

Blaine nodded, "Of course! They migrate south during this time of the season, so they pass through. There is a boat that leaves from Cape May. It isn't cheap really, but most of their parents don't care."

Kurt bit his lip in excitement, "Maybe I can get Paul to go on the ship," he thought for a moment, "I'd ask you, but you already went," he added hastily.

"I wouldn't hold your breath on that one," Blaine said almost so low that Kurt couldn't hear him.

"Excuse me?" Kurt glared at Blaine and pulled their hands apart.

Blaine jumped back and tried to grab for Kurt's hand, "I just meant that you can probably see them today if you look close enough. It's hard from the beach because you usually need to be up higher."

"Oh," Kurt felt silly but he knew that wasn't what Blaine had originally meant, "I wonder if Paul could lift me up…"

"I could," Blaine offered.

Kurt laughed before thinking, "Do you really think you could, Blaine? You're shorter than me!"

"But I'm strong!" Blaine knelt quickly in the water, "Come on, get on top of my shoulders."

"No."

Blaine stayed down, "I'm serious. The dolphins are probably out there now. Quick! They'll come soon!"

"No."

Blaine looked over his shoulder, "Please Kurt will you just get on my shoulders?"

Kurt looked down into Blaine's huge eyes and fought with himself. He knew it would annoy Paul, but he did really want to see the dolphins, "Fine."

"Yay!"

Kurt moved his legs to Blaine's shoulders, "Oh god, this is going to be awkward."

Blaine laughed and stood up slowly to support Kurt's weight, "It's fine." He swayed mutinously the water as he shifted his feet.

"Blaine, if you drop me I swear to god!"

Paul immediately came walking up to them, "What are you guys doing?"

"Kurt wants to see the dolphins," Blaine answered immediately.

Paul looked up at Kurt, "Can you see them?"

Kurt looked around but saw nothing. Probably because he was more focused on not falling to his death, "No."

"Maybe you can get on my shoulders; you'd get a better view."

Kurt felt Blaine tense his shoulders and he grabbed Kurt's ankles even tighter, "I just don't think they're out anymore," Kurt explained.

Paul shrugged, "Whatever."

"Can you let me down?" Kurt asked softly to Blaine, running his fingers through his hair to placate the boy who was obviously holding back something.

Blaine nodded, "Paul, can you help steady me so he doesn't fall into the water?"

Paul grabbed Kurt's arms and helped as Kurt went back to the somewhat safe sand.

Blaine stood up and grimaced, "Shit," he murmured.

Kurt looked down and saw a huge line of red down Blaine's leg, "Oh my god! Blaine! You're bleeding!"

"I see that," Blaine reached down and grabbed some water, splashing his leg. It didn't take long before the line appeared again, "Stupid shell," he murmured.

Kurt grabbed his hand, "Come on, I have a first aid kid."

Paul followed behind them dutifully up the beach.

"Sit on the towel."

"Yes, Mommy," Blaine said. His cheeks were tinged pink.

"You don't need to be embarrassed," Kurt said as he wiped away some of the sand that had already made its way into the wound.

Blaine said nothing, but Kurt could see the muscle in his jaw clenching.

Paul grabbed his phone while Kurt rubbed over the wound. "Looks like my Dad is finally out of the meetings!" he said.

Kurt pressed the neon green Band-Aid onto Blaine's shin, "I doubt you can go back in the water with that on," he warned.

"Will my leg fall off if I do?" Blaine's eyes were wide in mock fear.

"Jackass," Kurt whispered.

"That's okay," Paul pulled away from his phone, "My Dad wants to go out to dinner tonight anyway, so we need to get back to the Cape."

Kurt frowned; it was only mid afternoon, "Oh."

Blaine seemed to notice Kurt's sadness, "Well why don't you just head back? Kurt and I could do the boardwalk or…" he grabbed his bag and pulled out a newspaper, "I saw this headline today about a bridal show…"

"YES!" Kurt grinned and did a happy dance. "Please?"

Paul shrugged, "Sure."

It bothered Kurt a little that Paul wasn't more jealous of Blaine, but he supposed Paul could just see what a good man Blaine really was.

Paul threw his shirt on, "I'm going back, but I'll come visit you tonight okay, beautiful?"

Kurt preened under his attention and leaned up for a kiss. Paul nipped at his bottom lip lightly before pulling away. "Tonight," Kurt said softly.

Paul grinned wider, "Maybe I could…um, stay over?"

Kurt's heart immediately started racing, "Maybe…." The answer didn't jump out into his mind.

Paul nodded and grabbed his bag, "I'll see you later, Blaine?"

"You can always spend the night at my house," Blaine said cheekily.

"Nah, you're not my type," Paul said with a grin.

Blaine looked at his retreating back and then turned back to Kurt, "Can you tell me why you're with him?"

Kurt stiffened, "Why are you starting this now?"

"Just tell me why."

Kurt wrung his hands, "I don't know. He makes me feel…special and wanted."

Blaine nodded while looking down at the band aid, "Just tell me you won't have sex with him."

"I'm not telling you anything! I can't make a promise like that!" Kurt was angry now, Blaine was ruining another day.

Blaine reached out his hand, "I'm not saying it for bad reasons, Kurt. I just think you should wait for...for someone else. For anyone else! Someone who will respect you and care about you and want to be with you all the time."

"Unless you tell me what your exact problem is with Paul, I can't promise anything!" Kurt hated Blaine in that moment. Kurt had finally found happiness and someone was taking it away.

"I can't tell you. I'll lose my job," Blaine shook his head and stood up, "You know what? Whatever. You do what you want to do, Kurt."

Kurt didn't want to fight with Blaine again, "Look, can we talk about this after tonight? I won't have sex with him."

Blaine turned and pulled Kurt into a hug, "You promise? Please Kurt?" Blaine pulled back and searched his eyes, "Don't do that to yourself."

Kurt didn't know why, but he felt like he had to trust Blaine.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think!<strong>


	11. Ups and Downs

**You may need tissues.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Kurt grinned at the beautiful red dress in front of him, "You are going to be my ticket to New York City," he whispered to it.

"Talking to your dress? I heard that means you've officially lost your mind," Emma said with a giggle.

Kurt sat back on his heels and laughed with her, "I may have. I think she's done though. I just finished fixing the hemline so that it was more appropriate to the time period. I can't believe that whoever had their disgusting, vile hands on this beautiful dress before decided it would be okay to raise the hemline in the front. Mullet dresses are not attractive now, and they would have been shameless before."

Emma ran her hands down the velvet on the front of the dress. Even though Kurt knew Emma would be careful, he did not want her hands on his dress.

Emma seemed to notice his face and pulled her hand away quickly, "You know, you should take a picture of this and send it to those schools your waitlisted at. I'm sure it would attract attention."

Kurt sighed, "I don't want to be a tailor though." The more he thought about his future, the more he had to be in New York. He could picture it: a small but well decorated apartment with Paul, maybe a cat that was prissy and beautiful, and an internship at one of the up and coming magazines that he would spearhead into the future.

It would be fantastic.

Emma shook her head, "You have to take risks, Kurt. You don't go to the best fashion schools in New York because you want to be a tailor. They will know why you are sending the picture – you just have to remind them why they put you on a waitlist instead of saying no."

Kurt was about to answer when his phone vibrated twice against the wood floor. The first message was from Blaine:

**Hey! Are we still on for "lunch" today?**

Kurt quickly sent back: "Of course, why wouldn't we be?" and checked his next message.

**Sry. Cnt go tnght. Ill txt u ltr.**

Kurt pouted but sent back a kissy face to Paul. Kurt felt the warmth in his stomach spread when he thought about Paul. They had had a romantic evening the night before when they returned from Sea Isle. Kurt had been explaining the different bridal gowns he had seen with Blaine when Paul suggested they go back to his hotel room. Since his father was one of the upstanding businessmen, Paul got his own room in the hotel.

Kurt would always remember that at the Hilton in room 325, he had his first orgasm with someone else.

Kurt waited for a few minutes but received no response, so he went back to lint rolling the dress.

Emma was still smiling down at him, "Was that the handsome boy with the crazy hair? You always brighten when he's around."

Kurt shook his head, "No. Well, originally yes. But that was my…" Kurt didn't know what to actually call Paul. They'd never used the word "boyfriend" but Kurt thought they qualified for it, especially after the night before. "That was Paul," he finished lamely.

Emma's eyes widened (if that was even possible) but she said nothing.

Kurt blew out a stream of air as he tried to scrutinize the dress for anything else he could possibly do to fix it, "Anything you would suggest?"

Emma twisted her hands together and looked at the dress again, "Other than sending it out? Probably thinking about what kind of display you want for the front window?"

Kurt's head snapped up, "You mean…like you're putting it in our front window?"

"Absolutely," Emma said with a smile. She jumped abruptly when the doorbell signaled that someone else was entering the shop. "I have to go help the customers, but then we'll talk!"

Kurt looked up at the dress and wasn't shocked when the view became misty. He'd never had anyone tell him anything he'd done was worth display.

Kurt pulled out his phone and immediately hit the contact he wanted to tell first. He pushed the phone to his ear quickly with shaking hands.

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" the good-natured voice answered from the other side of the phone.

Kurt was momentarily struck silent before he pulled the phone away to check the picture on the caller ID. "Blaine! You freaked me out for a second!"

A low chuckle came from Blaine. "Sorry, I like to have fun sometimes. What's up?"

Kurt's initial giddiness came back, "So today I finished my dress…"

"The beautiful red one?"

"Yes!" Kurt's heart jumped lightly because Blaine remembered, and no one ever remembered anything he did. "Guess what she's doing with it?"

"Um," Blaine was silent for a few seconds, "Making her husband wear it?"

Kurt's nose wrinkled and he nearly choked, "No! She's putting it on display in the front window! Isn't that amazing?"

Blaine laughed again, "That is fantastic, Kurt! Just think about how a picture of it will look at your first store in New York!"

Kurt's heart once again leapt at the thought, but he couldn't get ahead of himself. He couldn't let himself hope when there was nothing in reality that gave him any indication that it would happen. "Stop," he couldn't stop his tone from being embarrassed.

Blaine laughed again into the phone, successfully melting Kurt's heart. "You are amazing Kurt, of course someone is bound to notice it."

"How can you say I'm amazing if you've never even seen my work?" Kurt questioned. He wanted to accept the compliment, but knew he'd never be as amazing as Blaine seemed to think he was.

"I just know," Blaine said simply as Kurt heard the murmur of people behind him.

"Oh god!" Kurt realized that Blaine was at work and probably busy. "I'm so sorry! I forgot you were at work right now!"

"It's fine," Blaine said quietly, "I'm just doing deliveries. We'll talk more about your debut at the courtyard, okay?"

Kurt nodded before realizing that Blaine couldn't see him. "Sure, I'll be there in about an hour!"

"Goodbye, Kurt!"

"Bye," Kurt echoed. He quickly hung the phone up only to call his Dad and send a quick text to Mercedes. He glanced around the shop to make sure Emma was still working with a customer before hitting Paul's face on his screen.

Kurt pressed the phone against his ear and listened to the ringing of Paul's phone.

"Hey! You've reached Paul but I'm probably doing something better than talking to you," his message played.

Kurt sighed, "Hey Paul! I just had some good news to tell you, but I guess I'll wait until I see you again. Tomorrow are you free? I'll talk to you later!" He sighed again as he hung up the phone.

Emma bustled back into the room, "Sorry that took so long! The woman is getting married on the beach in September and wanted to order this lace that just takes forever to work with."

Kurt nodded, plastering the smile back on his face.

Emma saw right through it.

"You look exhausted honey, why don't you head over to lunch? Take all the time you need."

Normally Kurt wouldn't accept the offer because he knew it was poor form in a working environment, but today he couldn't help himself.

"I'll be back at normal time," he said eventually.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

When Kurt arrived at the courtyard, Blaine was already waiting for him. Blaine stood and hugged him tightly.

Kurt felt himself blush but hugged back. Something about touching Blaine still made him ridiculously happy. "How are you?" Kurt sat down next to Blaine, probably closer than was necessary.

Blaine gently laid his head on Kurt's shoulder and made a snoring sound. "Exhausted."

Kurt giggled and brushed his hands through Blaine's curls. "You could always quit one of your jobs. You could sleep more then."

"No," Blaine murmured, "I have to work. I don't need sleep; eventually my body will get used to it."

Kurt worried about Blaine. He worried about how even though the boy spent time in the sun, he always looked pale. He worried about how the bags under Blaine's eyes looked bigger every day. He worried because Blaine was so test lately. "You need sleep. You're grumpy all the time lately. Maybe if you slept, you wouldn't be so grumpy."

He'd meant it as teasing, but obviously Blaine didn't see it that way, "I'm sorry that I can't be happy all the time."

"It's only when we're around Paul," Kurt prodded. He was trying to get to the bottom of why Blaine didn't like Paul. They both had Kurt's heart, though in different ways, and he wanted them to be friends.

"Maybe because I don't like him," Blaine said matter-of-factly, "and I hate that I have to see him to see you."

"You're seeing me right now and he isn't here."

Blaine laughed hollowly, "And we're still talking about him."

"Why don't you like him, exactly?" Kurt questioned. His mind immediately jumped to the worst situation. Blaine was going to make Kurt choose between the two.

"You're different when you're with him" Blaine said loudly with a large hand flourish. "It's like your brain has completely shut off and you can't think...or be yourself...or be anyone really." Blaine's ears were tinged with pink as he spoke, but Kurt could tell from the steely quality in his voice that he was being sincere.

Kurt knew. He could feel how different he was when he was with Paul – he was always afraid to say or even think the wrong thing. He was worried that one wrong move would take him back to the start, and he would have nothing to show for it. "I know," he said quietly, "but I really didn't think anyone else noticed it."

"I did," Blaine said, his eyes shining with emotions, "I missed you."

Kurt ducked his head but said nothing; he had no idea what to feel because everything was surging around inside of him: anger, sadness, apathy, determination, and a hundred other unnamed emotions.

"Hey," Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand, "don't shut me out. What's going on? Why are you some completely different person when you're around him? Why aren't you the real you? Why are you some self-obsessed jerk?"

Kurt sucked in a breath at Blaine's words – was he really that bad?

Blaine clutched onto Kurt's shoulder, "Oh Kurt, I didn't…I didn't mean it that way!"

Kurt felt the anger rise in his chest. For too long he'd had people hate him for who he was and he was NOT about to have someone else do the same thing. "I'm sorry it's hard for you to understand, Blaine, but I have absolutely no idea who the real me is! Well, obviously you do, so why don't you tell me?"

Blaine looked flabbergasted as he stared back at Kurt. "I'm not sure I even really know, Kurt. Was the polite but witty, strong but adorable boy I met that first day really you? Or is the real you the asshole I've been spending time with for the last few days?"

Kurt crumbled his sandwich up, having lost all of his appetite. "And what if that were the real me, Blaine? I'm not sure that's the proper way to foster a friendship between two people. I thought I was the socially awkward one."

Blaine repeated Kurt's actions and crumbled his own plastic back and apple core together, "I'm not sure that the person I've seen the last few days is someone I want to foster a friendship with. But I'm pretty freaking sure that you aren't that person. Ever since Paul walked into the picture…"

"There it is," Kurt spit, "there's the truth."

Blaine stopped, his eyes going impossibly wider.

"You're jealous," Kurt said lowly, "You're jealous of Paul." Kurt knew he'd been spending more time with Paul, but he didn't realize until that very minute that it probably hurt Blaine's feelings.

Blaine just gaped at him, no words coming out of his mouth.

"I finally have someone in my life, Blaine. I'm terrified that he's going to walk away and I'm never going to find that again. I'm terrified that he's going to realize what a loser I am. I'm just a boy from a town where the main export is corn."

"So you're changing yourself so he doesn't leave you?" Blaine's face was red, and any compassion was gone from his eyes, "Well I have a news flash for you…" For a second all Kurt saw was Karofsky in Blaine's eyes. He was looking at Kurt with all of the blind rage that Kurt had seen repeatedly in the hallways of McKinley.

"Stop it, Blaine!" Kurt snapped, "Stop it right now! You have no right to tell me anything! You have no right to say anything about Paul and I!"

Blaine seemed to realize that Kurt was upset about more than just his words because he calmed down visibly rather quickly. "Kurt," his voice came out high-pitched and pained, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just…you have to believe me. Paul…"

"Don't," Kurt whispered, his voice broken. "Stop trying to pit me against Paul, Blaine. It isn't going to happen. I try to spend as much time as I can with both of you."

"I want to spend time with you, Kurt. The real you. The one I met that day in your room."

Kurt scuffed at the ground with his shoes, "So you've said."

Blaine leaned forward and grabbed one of Kurt's hands into his own, "So why don't you believe me when I say it? Why don't you see what you're doing? Why are you acting like someone else?"

Kurt felt his tough exterior fade away. The last thing he wanted to do was lose the very person who had showed him some semblance of kindness. "Blaine, I don't…I just, I'm growing and I'm trying to change who I am, who I was."

"Why?" Blaine's hazel eyes were filled with tears, "Why in the world are you trying to change someone who was so special, so unique? Kurt, you are worth so much more than that."

Kurt bit his lip. In truth, he wasn't sure why he acted differently around Paul. "What if I act like me and Paul doesn't like, Blaine? What if I push him away because I'm just some weak boy?"

"But you aren't," Blaine was gaining some of the strength back in his voice. "I thought…" Blaine bit his lip and shook his head, "I thought you were finally growing out of the shell, the one you wore to constantly protect yourself. But you're still expecting the worst out of everyone around you, aren't you?"

Kurt swallowed, his eyes frantically searching Blaine's face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Blaine shook his head, "You know what Kurt? I'm starting to think that the selfish side of you that I saw with Paul might actually be more of who you are than I thought."

Kurt paused, "Excuse me?"

Blaine was gathering his things, "You think everyone is against you to the point that you push away the people who are there for you. People who know what you've been through and are trying to help you not make mistakes that you'll just take out on another person you meet."

Kurt felt the pressure behind his eyes increase, "Blaine…you don't mean that. You're mad."

"You're right," Blaine breathed while nodding, "I am. I'm pissed. You have no idea, Kurt. I've been trying to steer you away from Paul for the last few weeks and you took it as me being an asshole. It's a shame you missed who the real asshole is in this situation. As far as I'm concerned, out of the three of us, I'm the only one who isn't." Blaine turned and stomped down the stairs of the gazebo they were in.

"Blaine stop acting like a child!" Kurt covered the gazebo in a few steps, "Get back here!"

Blaine kept walking, moving incredibly fast, "No. Go cry to Paul, see what he has to say for himself."

Kurt stopped walking, "Fine. I will! You tried to prove to me that Paul is the jerk, but you just showed me who is the real jerk."

Blaine kept walking toward the beach, his body rigid.

Kurt waited for a few seconds before letting the tears fall from his eyes, "Fuck," he groaned. He didn't care that a family was walking nearby. He didn't care that it was a family town.

He may have just lost one of the only friends he ever had.

Kurt grabbed his phone. He needed to see Paul, there was no doubt in his head. His fingers were shaking, but he dialed the numbers quickly.

"Hey! You've reached Paul but I'm probably doing something better than talking to you," the message played for the second time that day.

Kurt hung the phone up and nearly yelled. He needed to see Paul. As quickly as his feet would carry him, he walked out of the plaza and toward the hotel. Blaine had walked that direction, so Kurt took the slightly longer way to the hotel.

Kurt didn't even call again when he made it to the hotel. He figured that Paul had to be asleep to have missed both calls and then never called back. He took the stairs two at a time, too angry and upset to take the elevator. He finally found the room and pounded on the door, "Paul!" he tried to sound slightly happy, but it came out wrecked.

Kurt waited a few more seconds before knocking again, "Paul?"

"Excuse me, sir, are you a registered guest of the hotel?" a shorter, Russian woman asked.

Kurt shook his head, "No…but my…my boyfriend is staying in this room."

The woman looked at Kurt strangely. "Sir, I'm afraid that room is vacant."

"Excuse me?"

The woman pulled out her note pad, "We did a total scrub down of the room today. The last visitors left this morning."

Kurt felt the world blur, "Left? As in, went home?"

The woman shrugged, "It is possible that they went to another hotel, sir?"

Kurt shook his head.

It all made sense: the missed phone calls, the urgency the night before, the dinner with his family, the lack of labels.

Kurt leaned against the stucco wall and breathed out a sob, "He didn't…he used me," he said to no one.

"Sir, I hate to do this but you're going to have to leave…"

"Elisa, he's with me," a familiar voice said.

"Blaine," Kurt croaked out, "Blaine! He's gone. He left. He left without explaining or saying goodbye!"

Blaine nodded, his own eyes full of sorrow, "I know."

Kurt realized then that Blaine had known the check out date because of Paul's sister. Blaine couldn't tell him because of confidentiality, so he tried to tell him in other ways.

Kurt knew he should feel happy that Blaine wasn't a jerk, but instead he felt his heart breaking.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and led him to the sundeck. He sat on a reclining chair and opened his arms, pulling Kurt down. "Shh," he whispered as Kurt let his tears run free, "shh. It's okay, you'll be okay. Forget about him. You deserve so much more."

Kurt clutched tightly around Blaine's waist, not fully hearing his words.

Blaine pressed a kiss into Kurt's hair, "Shh…I've got you. You're okay."

They stayed like that for hours.

* * *

><p><strong>Updates SHOULD come for frequently now that classes are almost over for the semester. :)<strong>


	12. Comfort

**AN: Oh my gosh, guys. I'm so sorry this took so long. I told myself I wouldn't procrastinate on my final paper in my one class, but I did. A lot. But I hope this makes up for it. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Kurt pulled his knees up to his chin and stared at Blaine as he walked into the room, arms laden with bags upon bags. "What are you doing?" he sniffed, "don't you have work today?" Kurt check the wall to confirm that yes, Blaine should be working with the little kids.

"I took the day off," Blaine said simply, "I figured you needed me today." Blaine dropped the bags on the coffee table. "Are we going to do this here or in your room?"

Kurt stood shakily, his knees nearly giving out. Exhaustion coursed throughout his body; he had barely slept the night before. Meg had held him for a while as he cried after Blaine left for the night (because Meg insisted) but it still was not enough to make him sleep. "My room," he voice broke on the second word but he didn't care.

Blaine grabbed the bags again, ignoring Kurt's appeal to carry anything. "Upstairs to the right, yeah?"

Kurt nodded, realizing for the first time that Blaine really hadn't been in the house all that often. Usually they met somewhere in town, somewhere they both just met up. Kurt wondered instantly why that happened, why Blaine never came in even when they did find themselves at the house.

Furthermore, Kurt had only seen the inside of Blaine's room once, and he was not invited that time either. Since then, Blaine had gotten his rent in early and Kurt only had to enter the first level of the house to get the rent from the other boys. It bothered Kurt that he knew so little about Blaine.

Was Blaine using him just as a friend for the summer as well?

Did Blaine really care about him, or was he just someone to do things with?

Was Blaine going to walk out of his life and suddenly not care about him anymore?

Kurt almost wished he could go back to the time when he had no real friends; they couldn't hurt his feelings and let him feel disappointed again.

Kurt walked into the dark room and flopped down on the unmade bed. Usually he would care that Blaine was seeing such a messy side of him, but for once he just wanted to fall asleep for a very long time.

Blaine immediately walked over to the large window and pulled back the curtains, "No, absolutely not. You are not going to sit here and sulk. We are going to clean up this room and then we are going to watch any movie you want." Blaine motioned to a black zipped binder on the floor, "Those are all of my DVDs, pick whichever one you want to start with and clean a trail to the DVD player."

Kurt just sat and stared at Blaine, "Why are you doing this?"

Blaine stood up from collecting a pile of dirty clothes and throwing it in the hamper. Kurt felt slightly embarrassed when he saw a pair of boxers in Blaine's hand but said nothing. He searched Blaine's eyes trying to find the answer. Blaine sighed, "Because you're my friend and I don't want to see you let one jackass ruin your life."

Kurt wanted to resign, but he knew Blaine was right. "I'm really your friend, right?" his voice was small and he hated the way it sounded, making him sound even weaker than he really was.

Blaine threw another pile of clothes into the laundry basket before sighing and flopping onto the bed with Kurt. "Kurt, don't do that. Don't break away from everyone because of one asshole. You are an amazing person and you deserve to be surrounded by people that love and care about you, but you have to let them. I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me to. I don't…I don't really have a lot of friends either, so this is pretty special to me."

Kurt nodded, not making eye contact. He wanted to believe Blaine, he wanted to know that there was someone there.

"You have people that care about you," Blaine continued, obviously sensing that Kurt didn't want to talk. "You have Meg, you have your Dad, you have Emma, you have Rachel, and you have me. We might not look like what you expected or fall into the traditional age range," he chuckled, "but are here for you."

Kurt glanced down at his lap, "I just…why did he have to do that? I told him how important he was…that he was my first everything..."

Blaine sucked in a breath, "Kurt, did you have sex with him?"

"No!" Kurt shook his head ferociously. "I listened to you. God, thank you for warning me. But we did…we did fool around a little bit…that last night," Kurt hung his head in shame. "God I'm an idiot."

"No," Blaine jumped forward and touched Kurt, immediately looking up to make sure it was okay. "You were being a reasonable, moral human being. You didn't expect him to be a big jerk like that!"

Kurt laughed through a sniffle, "A big jerk? Those are fighting words."

Blaine blushed high on his cheekbones, "You know what I meant."

Kurt wiped at his eyes, the pressure behind them had suddenly been alleviated. "I guess I should clean this room up, huh?"

Blaine nodded, "How did you do this in the twelve hours since I last saw you?"

Kurt shrugged, "I was looking for something."

Blaine continued picking things up off the floor until he barked out a laugh, "You mean this?"

Kurt glanced over and saw that Blaine was holding up exactly what he had been looking for – Kurt had just hoped he would be the one to find it. "I...yes."

Blaine laughed, "I take it this was his?"

Kurt grabbed the torn up hoodie from Blaine, "Yes, it was. I decided to practice my tailoring."

"So you made it a hoodie only Lady Gaga would wear?" Blaine gathered some of the scraps that had fallen off of the hoodie.

"You know Gaga would not wear that," Kurt said as he stuffed the remains of the hoodie into a large bag. "It was therapeutic."

Blaine just continued picking up the scraps and laughing lightly to himself. Kurt was hoping that Blaine didn't think he was too much of an idiot.

Finally the room was presentable enough for Kurt to not be embarrassed. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he said awkwardly, "I promise I'm not usually like that."

"Hey," Blaine walked over and wrapped an arm around Kurt's shoulders, "you don't have to apologize for anything with me. If you want to be messy, who am I to stop you? Also, you know who I live with – that was practically paradise compared to our living room."

"But your room was pristine," Kurt said shyly, he wasn't too sure Blaine ever wanted to talk about that awkward morning.

Blaine blushed slightly, "Because I don't really have time to search for a missing sock or a clean pair of underwear."

Kurt laughed, "Speaking of which, I'm going to go put on some clean clothes. I feel kind of gross right now."

"You don't have to for me, I think you smell fantastic," Blaine shrugged. "But just put on sweat pants because we are going to be lazy today."

Kurt nodded and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from him drawer, making sure to grab a matching top. He still wanted to look presentable to Blaine even if they were only having a lazy day. Kurt quickly threw on a pair of slightly tight red sweatpants that fell slightly past his knees. He chanced a look in the mirror before throwing on his shirt. He had dark circles under his eyes and a few bumps along his jaw. "Great," he muttered to himself before breaking into his face cleaning supplies. "This might take longer than I thought," he yelled out to Blaine.

"That's fine," Blaine's voice called back, "I have a phone call to make anyway."

Kurt quickly worked through his skincare routine, easily managing to reduce the redness of the bumps. He pulled the worn Lady Gaga Haiti Relief t-shirt over his head before walking out of the door. He was about to talk when he realized Blaine was still on the phone.

"I just don't see why he needs to be there," Blaine's voice was low and he seemed mad. Kurt couldn't help the thrill that hit his spine at the dark tone. He steeled himself against the wall, fighting back his urge to eavesdrop and the overwhelming urge to make whatever was making him so angry go away. "Coop I know, I know. I just…I don't think she'll want to see him really. And I know if I'm making the trip home I don't want to see him either."

Kurt bit his lip and strained to hear Blaine's brother on the other side of the phone. Blaine was such a huge mystery to Kurt; he only knew bits and pieces of Blaine's past and nothing from the last two years of his life.

But Kurt knew something was off.

"Okay, well I really don't want to drive home if I don't have to. I know…I should be there for Mom…but Coop you know how he is," Blaine was sitting on the edge of the bed now, his head in his hands. "I love you too. Can I talk to Mom?"

Kurt knew he should walk back into the bathroom and tidy it or at least do something, but he wanted to hear the conversation.

"Hi Momma! It's really great down here, the sun has been shining and everyone's really nice." Blaine paused and Kurt could only assume his mother was talking. "I'm at Kurt's right now…yeah, Kurt's the boy I told you about. No Mom…I didn't…It's complicated." Blaine laughed a little into the phone, "I miss you too. Work really hard, okay? I love you."

Kurt snuck back into the bathroom and counted to thirty before making a loud noise and walking back out into the room. "Hey! Sorry that took so long, I had to wash my face and brush my teeth."

Blaine wiped at his eye quickly, "And it took you that long?"

Kurt shrugged as he looked through the binder of DVDs, "I had to floss."

Blaine flopped back on the bed, stretching out, "Ah yes, oral hygiene is important."

Kurt laughed and immediately put _Pretty Woman_ in the DVD player. He walked back and flopped on the bed next to Blaine.

"What are we watching?" Blaine asked, making no move to actually adjust his body to see the television.

"_Pretty Woman_," Kurt responded, staring at the ceiling.

Blaine coughed a little, "That uhm, that isn't mine."

"No?" Kurt turned to face Blaine.

"No," Blaine shook his head a little, "I like manly movies, Indiana Jones, James Bond, those types of movies."

"Blaine, I saw all of the Toy Story movies in there as well as _Spirited Away_," Kurt raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Besides, I picked the movie."

Blaine nodded slowly, "Did you also see _The Fast and the Furious_? I own that as well. And all of the movies in The Matrix series…"

"Blaine, I'm not going to make fun of you for the movies you own," Kurt moved so that he was sitting against the headboard of the bed.

Blaine followed him, putting a little bit of distance between them, "Still, the movie was my Mom's, I accidentally brought it with."

Kurt nodded, "So now you're a thief? Maybe you shouldn't watch _The Fast and the Furious_."

Blaine's mouth twitched at the corner but he glared at Kurt, "Can't you see I'm trying to watch this movie? I've never seen it."

Kurt knew Blaine was lying. He knew because whenever Blaine lied he would tuck hair behind his left ear. "Whatever you say," Kurt knew he would have to catch Blaine in his lie somehow.

It was only a few minutes later when Kurt heard it, the unmistakable sound of Blaine's voice singing "King of Wishful Thinking."

Kurt turned to Blaine and looking up at him, "I don't need to fall at your feet," he sang lightly, "Just because you cut me to the bone…"

Blaine looked at Kurt in shock, "and I won't miss the way that you kiss me, we were never carved in stone…"

Kurt giggled, "You sir, are a liar. You so have seen this movie before."

Blaine froze, "No…I just…I just heard the song on the radio."

Kurt leapt to his knees, "You liar!"

Blaine shook his head, "I swear!"

"Just admit it Blaine!"

"No! I never saw this movie before!" Blaine was laughing now.

Kurt did the only thing he could think of, moved forward and tickled at Blaine's ribs, "Admit it or I will keep doing this."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's wrists and looked up into his eyes, "Fine! Fine okay? I've see the movie before."

Kurt looked down at Blaine's hands, "How many times?"

"Once or twice…"

Kurt started moving his fingers again.

"Okay! It might be one of my favorite movies!" Blaine was trying to push Kurt's hands away but couldn't succeed. Kurt overpowered him and ended up flying into his lap.

The air was filled with a little tension as they sat and watched the meeting of Edward and Vivian.

"You know, people underestimate this movie, they really do. I don't think people see it for the masterpiece it is," Blaine argued to no one in particular. "Richard Gere somehow manages to look attractive in those boxy suits. The story is totally about empowerment and being proud of who you are, which is a huge plus. And Julia Roberts looks freaking phenomenal in that nineties clothing that, in my opinion, needs to make a comeback."

Kurt quickly jumped off and landed as gracefully as he could on the bed next to Blaine. "You know, I don't really like liars."

Blaine scooted closer and pouted, "I'm sorry, can you forgive me?"

Kurt acted like he was thinking. "I suppose. But I also really don't think that clothing needs to make a comeback anytime in the next millennium."

"Well we'll have to agree to disagree there." Blaine turned back to the movie, not bothering to move away from Kurt. He curled up a little, and Kurt couldn't help but stare at the way his sweatpants clung to his muscles.

Kurt forced himself to look away. He couldn't do it again, have a crush on someone that would never really return it. That's what he chalked Paul up to, someone who wasn't going to be anything more than a crush in his memories. It sucked because he had genuinely forgotten about Paul for a few minutes, forgot the fact that he had been used as someone's summer romance. Paul was probably gloating about it to a few of his friends back at home, laughing at how gullible he was about the whole situation. He couldn't stand it, the thought of being a laughingstock again – that was supposed to be the Kurt from high school, not the Kurt that was living his life and taking no prisoners.

Kurt felt an arm on his shoulder, "Are you okay?" Blaine asked gently. "You're about to rip your comforter."

Kurt glanced down at his hands and saw that they were digging into the silky top of his blanket. "Oh, I'm sorry…I didn't realize I was doing that."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand, "Are you okay? Seriously. You can talk to me."

Kurt eyed Blaine warily. He still wasn't sure that Blaine wanted to be bothered with all of his problems.

"I'm here, I'm not going anywhere," Blaine gently reminded him.

"I just…I'm so hurt. How could he do that? How could he just use someone like that?" Kurt realized he was gripping on Blaine's hand. "Never mind, I'm sorry. Let's just watch the movie. I won't let him ruin something else."

They watched in silence again, occasionally glancing at one another when something funny happened, but not really saying a lot. It meant something to Kurt that Blaine was willing to spend a whole day just sitting around trying to help him get his mind off of Paul.

Vivian and Edward were lying in bed together on the television screen and Vivian whispered to Edward, "People put you down enough, you start to believe it." Then seconds later, "The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?"

"Amen," Blaine said under his breath.

Kurt turned to look at Blaine curiously. For the first time he realized that he might not be the only broken one sitting in the room. Blaine was so quiet, so reserved, and so attuned to Kurt's feelings. Kurt wished, not for the first time, that he knew Blaine better. He wanted to be able to help Blaine feel better when he was obviously upset about something. Kurt knew he could be selfish at times, but he pledged in that moment to make sure that he supported Blain as much as Blaine supported him.

Though the moment in the movie was over, Kurt reached over and grabbed Blaine's hand, "Hey Blaine?"

Blaine turned to look at him, immediately plastering the smile on his face, "Yes?"

"I think you are a very bright, very special man," he said quietly.

Blaine's face turned into a real grin. It was a simple shift, one that not everyone would notice, but Kurt did. The lines around Blaine's eyes deepened and his teeth clenched together slightly – that was the real Blaine smile.

Blaine blushed again and looked down, "Thank you Kurt. You know I think the exact same of you."

They watched again in silence, laughing together at the scenes they thought were funny. It was simple, being together and not really talking. It all felt totally natural in a way Kurt hadn't felt with someone else.

Kurt knew the scene was coming, but he couldn't emotionally prepare for it. Vivian was standing out on the balcony of the hotel, nearly crying. "When I was a little girl, my mama used to lock me in the attic when I was bad, which was pretty often. And I would- I would pretend I was a princess... trapped in a tower by a wicked queen. And then suddenly this knight... on a white horse with these colors flying would come charging up and draw his sword. And I would wave. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me."

Kurt sniffed a little and turned away from Blaine.

"Hey, hey," Blaine came around in front of Kurt, "no hiding."

Kurt pulled his head out of his hands, already feeling the tears coming down his face, "God I was an idiot."

"No you weren't," Blaine's eyes searched Kurt's face. "What you did was perfectly acceptable, given your situation."

Kurt paused and looked at Blaine, "M-my situation?"

"Kurt, people never treated you the way you deserved to be treated. People were cruel and harsh to you all throughout your life. So the first time someone is nice to you? Of course you are going to be attracted to them. The first person to approach you? Of course you are going to fall hard for them."

Kurt sat up ramrod straight – is that really what he did?

"But Kurt," Blaine moved and grabbed his hand, "You deserve so much more than some random person walking up to you at the beach. You deserve a person who wants to be with you because you're intelligent, you're witty, and you're absolutely amazing. You deserve a person who knows that you can be a bit of a diva and still want you anyway. You don't deserve someone who picked you out simply because you are jaw droppingly gorgeous. It sucks, Kurt that you picked someone like him. But I'm glad he's gone, you know why?"

Kurt shook his head, still trying to get over the fact that Blaine called him "jaw droppingly gorgeous."

"Because you deserve better. Someone who is going to treat you like the precious person that you are. Someone who is going to awaken something inside of you and make you realize your full potential. Paul didn't do that, Kurt. You weren't yourself when he was around." Blaine's eyes bore into Kurt's with passion, "You deserve someone who can show you what love really is."

Kurt nodded, shocked. He actually believed Blaine. He believed that maybe there was someone who could love him. "I know you're right," he said lightly, "but I just…I still feel him everywhere. You know?"

Blaine quirked an eyebrow, "No…"

"I feel his fingers in mine. I've washed my hands like a million times and I still feel him there. I can feel his arms around me, I've scalded myself in the shower trying to get that off. I actually brushed my lips with a toothbrush trying to slough away any skin his lips touched. I can't get rid of the feeling of him."

Blaine took a deep breath, "Well then…" he grabbed Kurt's hand and laced their fingers together, twisting their arms lightly so their arms could touch. It was slightly awkward, but Kurt grinned up at him. "Better?"

Kurt looked at their hands, "Definitely."

Blaine uncurled their fingers and moved off of Kurt slightly, "Oh, I almost forgot." Blaine leaned down and pressed a kiss into Kurt's mouth, his lips slotting on Kurt's gently. Kurt moved slightly and bumped their noses together, bringing a hand lightly to Blaine's face.

Blaine pulled away, "Is he gone?"

"Without a doubt," Kurt said a little breathlessly.

* * *

><p><strong>For the record, that wasn't supposed to happen yet. They have a mind of their own.<strong>


	13. Prep

**Hey everyone! Okay, this is short and cuts off at an awkward point but I had no idea where to cut this ridiculous chapter I had written. The plus is that you'll get an update sooner because it is essentially written. :) Also, you should all drop by one of my beta's tumblr (Ameskayy) and leave her a "get well soon" note, she just had her tonsils out. :)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

Blaine climbed off of Kurt, his eyes not quite meeting the paler boy's as he settled on the bed. "I'm so sorry," he breathed slowly, "oh my god Kurt, I'm so freaking sorry."

"For what?" Kurt was still riding the bliss from what had just happened, but it was quickly crashing back to earth.

Blaine laughed a little, seemingly to himself. "I just…I just spent the last twenty minutes preaching to you about how someone should have gotten to know you first, taken you out and treated you right before trying anything with you….and, and I just kissed you. I just practically mauled you on your bed. I am just as bad as he is, if not worse. Oh my god, I'm so sorry Kurt."

Kurt laughed a little, "You didn't exactly maul me. You kissed me."

"And I'm sorry," Blaine's eyes were flashing.

Kurt immediately began to understand. "Oh, I mean…I know we're just friends and you wouldn't want to kiss me as something else. I know…I know someone like you wouldn't actually be interested in me." Kurt bit his lip and willed the pressure behind his eyes to subside. It was one thing crying over another boy in front of Blaine, but something completely different to cry in front of him about being rejected by Blaine.

Blaine reached over and grabbed Kurt's hand tightly, "No. Kurt, that is not what I meant at all. I just…I had plans."

"Plans?" Kurt turned toward Blaine as soon as he trusted himself not to make a mockery of the entire situation and himself.

Blaine nodded slowly, "Uh-huh. I had so many, Kurt, you have no idea. I was going to take you out for dinner at this little place down the shore that I know. Then I was going to tell you that ever since the day I saw you that I had a crush on you. Then I was going to tell you that Paul was a complete asshole for not seeing you as the amazing person you are and throwing it all away. And then I was going to kiss you if you seemed to like the general direction of the conversation."

"So pretty much what you did, just forget the dinner and the actually telling me that you liked me part," Kurt kept his grip tight on Blaine's hand. "And I would have adored the general direction of the conversation."

Blaine looked up surprised, his mouth falling agape slightly, "You would have? I mean…you would have liked the-the fact that I have a crush on you? Because I really do, Kurt – I tried to hide it because I knew you needed time to-to find yourself or something. Then you started dating Paul and I got so freaking angry because I had been waiting for you! I had been waiting for weeks to tell you how I felt, and he got to waltz in with his perfect abs and perfect smile and perfect family and just take you away! Then I figured out that his family was leaving, and I was relieved because I knew he wouldn't want to keep up the relationship, but then I got pissed again because I realized that he was going to screw up all of the progress you made."

Kurt's head felt like it was in a whirlwind trying to keep up with what Blaine was saying. He squeezed Blaine's hand tighter so he would stop his rant, "Hey, stop. Can I say something?"

Blaine swallowed thickly and nodded.

"I'm not weak, Blaine. I may have had a hard time in life, but I am nowhere near weak. I get insecure sometimes, sure, but I'm not going to freak out because you kissed me. I've wanted to kiss you since practically the first day we met."

Blaine barked out a laugh so suddenly that Kurt jumped. "Are you serious, Kurt? You have to be kidding me. You? Wanting me?"

Kurt pushed hair out of his face, trying to buy himself some time to think over the conversation again. Had he misinterpreted anything? "I…wait, I'm lost. I thought you liked me? As in…liked me, liked me?" Kurt felt the all too familiar pressure again. Blaine actually laughed at the thought of someone like Kurt liking him.

Blaine must have understood the battle going on in Kurt's mind because he automatically placed a calming hand on Kurt's shoulder. "No, not like that at all. I mean…you, you are gorgeous and talented and intelligent. I'm just…me. I am nothing super special. I am not unique or ambitious or special. I'm just Blaine." Blaine punctuated the last statement with a shrug, "I thought it would be crazy for someone like you to like someone like me because I'm so ordinary."

Once again, Kurt realized how low Blaine's own self-esteem was. "Blaine, I do like you. A lot. And I know you're afraid of what Paul did, you're afraid that I'm going to use this as some sort of rebound…thing," Kurt didn't want to use the word "relationship" incase that was not what Blaine was thinking.

Blaine nodded, looking at the clock. Somehow, it had seemed like an eternity passed but time stood still at the same time. "Okay. I promise not to worry about this being a rebound thing if you promise to tell me if it starts to feel like one, okay?"

Kurt nodded, "I think I follow that."

Blaine stood and started collecting his things and putting them in his backpack. "I'm going to go home and change. Then, I'm going to take you on an amazing date, okay?"

"Did you just ask me out?" Kurt said cheekily, happy to have the flirting back between them. It had always come naturally, but Kurt was ready to do it every single time they were together.

Blaine blushed to his ears, "Kurt Hummel, will you please go on a date with me? Ordinary, nothing special, but completely, deliriously, hopelessly crushing on you, me?"

Kurt could not help the giggle that bubbled to the surface and the odd clap he did. "Yes! Tonight? Oh my god," he stood and ran to the closet, "I have so much I need to do. Go!"

Blaine leaned against the doorframe, "I'll be here at four, okay? We have a bit of a drive."

Kurt was already knee deep in shoes, "Fine! Just go!"

Blaine laughed and left the doorframe with a wave.

"WAIT!" Kurt yelled, a pair of moccasins in his hands (he would never actually wear them, but his dad had thought they would be a good idea). He ran out of the door and met Blaine at the top of the steps. "I didn't get a proper goodbye."

"Mr. Hummel," Blaine said, scandalized, "do you actually think I would kiss _before_ our date?"

"You already did," Kurt said with a grin, leaning in and pressing a firm kiss to Blaine's mouth, sucking gently on his bottom lip for a few seconds. Kurt pulled back, a giddy expression on his face.

"Oh…I…" Blaine blinked a few times before grinning widely, "I'll see you soon, yeah?"

Kurt nearly skipped back to his room, grinning at the sudden spark of courage he had. Kurt was just about to pull off his sweatpants to try on some nicer pants when he heard a soft knock at the door. "Come in?" he asked once he saw that Meg was peeking her head in the room.

Meg walked in and sat gently on the chair to the ancient vanity in the room; she crossed her legs and looked slightly awkward.

"Yes?" Kurt asked, pulling a pair of pinstripe pants out of the very end of his closet.

"I couldn't help but notice the uhm…exchange that happened outside in the hallway," Meg looked extremely uncomfortable, "Kurt, what are you doing?"

Kurt stood up straight, his heart beating quickly, "What do you mean?"

Meg stared at Kurt for a few seconds before immediately uncrossing her legs and leaning forward, "Kurt, are you really going from one boy to another?"

"Excuse me?" Kurt couldn't help but feel offended. Is that really what she thought he was doing?

"I know that you feel like you're making up for lost time or something, but you need to realize that you can't just go from boy to boy." Meg was not backing down; her eyes had sparks in them that reminded Kurt and awful lot of his father.

"But Blaine isn't just some boy…he's amazing, Meg. He's the first boy that I really let myself have a huge crush on. I know someone interrupted that…but he really didn't. If I'm being honest, I liked Blaine the entire time I was with Paul." Kurt leaned against the wall now, "I'm not sure what you think this is…"

"Hey," Meg stood now, "I'm not trying to say anything, Kurt. I'm just telling you to be careful because you are taking risks. You are not used to…this attention. Not that I can blame you because Ohio does not really have the dating pool for you. Not that I ever had luck in Cape May, but you seem to be making pretty good for yourself."

Kurt wasn't sure whether to be offended or touched that she cared this much. "Meg…I don't think there will be another boy this summer after Blaine."

Meg laughed a little, "Kurt you're young. I understand I just…oh my god I'm going about this all wrong aren't I?"

Kurt nodded slightly, "I mean…it's not like you have practice with it though. Plus, up until you insulted me it was kind of funny."

Meg held up a finger, "Just wait, and continue getting dressed for your dinner with Blaine. I'll be right back."

Kurt shook his head but started to decide which of his teal shirts had just the right amount of green in it.

"Okay kid," Meg walked back into the room wearing a pair of loose jeans, a white tank top, and a flannel shirt, "time to talk. I told you Dad about Blaine and he got all worried you were being…inappropriate, I think that was the word he used at least."

Kurt wanted to crawl into the pile of clothes on the floor and never come out, "Oh my god no."

"Now, I don't really know what I'm talking about because I don't have sex with men….so I'm going by what your father told me." Meg looked just as uncomfortable as Kurt felt. "Now for most guys sex is, just, you know, this thing they always want to do. You know, it's fun, feels great, but they're not really thinking too much about, you know, how it makes them feel on the inside, or, you know, how the other person feels about it," Meg paused as she squirmed, "that's why I'd recommend women, personally."

Kurt couldn't help but smirk, "That ship has sailed, fortunately. Plus…you know that's not how I am. I'm not going to do that."

Meg nodded slowly, taking a deep breath, "No, it's gonna be worse. Because it is two guys. With two guys you got two people who think that sex is just sex. It's gonna be easier to come by. And once you start doing this stuff you're not going to want to stop. Yah just... you gotta know that it means something. You know, it's doing something... to you, to your heart, to your self-esteem, even though it feels like... you're just having fun."

Kurt could hear his father in her words, and laughed to himself. "So you're saying I shouldn't have sex yet…"

Meg let out a breath, "You mean you didn't have sex with Paul? Thank god."

Kurt shook his head.

Meg nodded, "Kurt, when you're ready, I want you to be able to... do everything. But when you're ready I want you to, use it as a way to connect to another person. Don't throw yourself around, like you don't matter. 'Cause you matter, Kurt."

Kurt nodded, "Are we done now?"

Meg shook her head and reached into her pockets, "I also bought you condoms. I don't necessarily want you to use them until you feel ready, but now you have some."

Kurt took them and shoved them quickly out of sight into his nightstand drawer. "Now can I get ready for my date?"

Meg chucked her flannel shirt on the floor and laid on the bed, "So what can you tell me about this date?"

"I don't know much," Kurt mused as he attempted to find an outfit that would actually suit dinner for a beach town, "he's taking me to a restaurant that we need a little time to drive to, that's all I know."

"Well that isn't helpful," Meg did not look like she was going to be moving anytime soon, so Kurt walked into the bathroom to change.

"I know," he said through the door, "and I would have really liked to know exactly what to wear because this is not kosher for all venues."

Kurt looked down at his outfit. He hadn't really dressed up while in Cape May yet. Sure, he had gone on dates with Paul, but he never really felt the need to actually dress up before.

"Aren't you going to be hot in that?" Meg asked as she surveyed the black pants, long sleeved pinstripe shirt, and tight black vest he had put on.

"Probably, but I'm hoping we're going to be eating inside." Kurt pushed his hair back from his face, trying to style it as best he could.

Kurt had lost track of time, and when he heard the familiar chime of the doorbell, he nearly fell over.

"I'll just go get that," Meg said with a smile, "I get to be the angry Dad."

"Please don't embarrass me," Kurt groaned, "Please."

Kurt quickly sprayed cologne on and grabbed his sunglasses and wallet. Meg had looked a little too happy running out of the room.

Kurt tried as gracefully as he could to descend the stairs, but his hands were sweating and he really just wanted to get the date started. He had no idea why he was so nervous; his brain felt like it was going to melt out of his ears at any given minute.

The sight that greeted him at the bottom of the stairs was not exactly what he wanted to see on this day.

Meg was pointing a bright green super soaker at Blaine's face, "I swear, Blaine. If you hurt that boy I will spray that gel right out of your hair!"

Blaine was cross-eyed staring at the gun, his hands up in the air, "Okay! I won't hurt him, I promise!"

"You can stop defending my dignity now, Meg," Kurt said as he reached the bottom of the steps. His brain was successfully halfway out of his ears as he took in Blaine. He didn't remember seeing the boy quite so dressed up before. He had on navy pants that looked like they had actually been pressed. He wore a simply red polo and a red and blue striped bowtie. He looked positively different from the carefree boy Blaine normally was, but he still had the same face that currently sported a wide grin.

"You look great," Kurt breathed first. "Different, but great."

Blaine subconsciously ran a hand over his gelled hair. "Yes, well. I went to private school, sometimes it just comes out."

Meg smiled at the pair, "Do we get to know where the two of you are going yet?" She looked at Blaine expectantly.

"Café Loren," Blaine said easily with a smile to Kurt. He knew that Kurt would have no idea what that was.

Meg nodded, "Darn Kurt, that lip lock must have left an impression."

Kurt could feel all of the blood rushing to his face, and he could see it in Blaine. "Thanks Meg for making that awkward."

"Just saving you the trouble," she said with a grin before winking at Blaine and leaving the foyer.

"Ready to go?" Blaine asked nervously, his hand reaching out for Kurt's.

"I am," Kurt smiled and grabbed the hand tightly.

Already it felt better than any date he'd had with Paul.

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><p><strong>You'll get the actual date soon. :)<strong>


	14. Heart Was Gone When We Reached Avalon

**Chapter 14**

The drive down the shore was not nearly as awkward as Kurt had thought it would be, they made small talk the entire way down. However, it wasn't the small talk that seemed stilted and forced. A song would come on the radio and one of them would recognize it and have a story to tell. They radio station seemed to be mixing together old and new songs, so they had some very interesting stories to tell.

"This was the first song I danced with another boy to," Blaine smiled sadly as he turned down Usher's "Yeah".

Kurt frowned and reached over to touch Blaine's shoulder simply because now he _could_, pressing his thumb into the muscles of his upper arm, "Bad break up?"

Blaine shrugged, "No break up at all really. We were at the Sadie Hawkins dance in my high school's gym. I'm sure I looked lovely in my overalls and straw hat. We had a themed dance, which was stupid because Sadie Hawkins is a freaking theme but no one listened to the gay kid when he said that so it was also country bumpkin themed. We danced and some people didn't like it so I really don't have the greatest memories of this song. Or that dance. Or that night. Or…yeah," Blaine trailed off, knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

Kurt knew it was an appropriate thought given that Blaine was so upset, but he found Blaine's babbling somewhat endearing. He ran his hands over the back of Blaine's shirt, "We can change topics if it makes you feel better?"

Blaine nodded, "That would be fantastic. We are almost at the restaurant anyway."

"So what happened between you and the boy?" Kurt hoped that topic wasn't sensitive too.

Blaine grimaced.

Apparently it was.

"Well, he and I didn't really talk after the dance," Blaine said carefully, as if he was picking every word with caution, "it was the end of the year and we moved the next year so I honestly don't know what happened to him. He added me on Facebook about a year or so ago but I didn't accept the request."

"Why did you move?" Kurt asked as they pulled into a stone parking lot. Kurt looked up at the sign and saw that they had arrived. It was smaller than Kurt had imagined, neatly placed next to an ice cream stand.

Blaine laughed at Kurt's expression, "I promise you it isn't terrible. My family used to come here all the time." He offered a hand to Kurt as they walked into the small restaurant.

Kurt was shocked at the inside. The ceiling was covered in little Christmas lights that were woven together and looked somewhat like stars. A few strands were twinkling lights that kept it interesting. The tables were mostly tiny with only two or three place settings. The people who were there were all obviously familiar with the place and seemed to be enjoying themselves. They laughed loudly and were carrying on with the waitresses and even the cooks who walked around to check the meal.

"Blaine Anderson is that you?" a man said, wrapping Blaine in a hug, "Look at you! You've grown so much!"

"You have?" Kurt joked in a low whisper, "You were actually shorter at some point."

Blaine squeezed his hand a little tighter but said nothing to Kurt. "Mr. Serano! How are you?"

"Fine, fine," the older gentleman smiled down at Blaine, his light blue eyes shining, "is your father coming in?"

"No," Blaine shook his head and changed his tone a little, "just Kurt and I."

Mr. Serano looked at Kurt and smiled, "Someone special?

Kurt bit his lip and looked down. He wasn't sure how they were even going to answer that question.

"Absolutely," Blaine said with another fond squeeze.

"Well then we'll have to show him what Café Loren can do," Mr. Serano motioned for them to follow. "Where are you from, Kurt?"

"Lima, Ohio," Kurt spoke up.

"Right near the Andersons then?" Mr. Serano smiled, "I just assumed you two met down here."

Kurt smiled, "We did, actually."

Blaine nodded, "I work for his Aunt Meg. She has the pink house in Cape May."

"Oh Meggy? She used to come in all the time! I haven't seen her in awhile though." Mr. Serano motioned for them to sit at a small, secluded table.

"Really?" Kurt truthfully never thought Meg left the house, she always seemed to be hovering around.

Mr. Serano nodded, "Are you staying the summer with her?"

It was Kurt's turn to nod.

"Well then I hope you two have a fantastic summer," Mr. Serano said sincerely, "the greatest of love stories happen down the shore."

Blaine had a small smile playing on his lips as he looked at Mr. Serano, Kurt knew his own face mirrored the expression.

"Enjoy your meal," Mr. Serano handed them menus and walked toward the front of the restaurant to greet the next customers.

"He's a really sweet man," Kurt remarked as he opened his men.

"I've known him since I was five," Blaine said with a smile, "he was part of our beach family."

"Was?"

Blaine shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Well when my parents got divorced we stopped coming down here. But we stopped coming to Café Loren when my dad found out that Mr. Serano was gay."

Kurt looked over his menu, startled. "He stopped coming?"

Blaine nodded, "My dad, oh god how did he put it? Wasn't a fan of the lifestyle choices he made, I believe."

Kurt frowned, "Did he feel that way when you came out?"

"Why do you think my parents got divorced?" Blaine said as he looked through the menu. "My mom…she stood up for me. She loved me and didn't care that I'm gay. My dad wanted to send me away to a military school so I wouldn't be able to express myself, so she divorced him."

Kurt reached across the table and wrapped his hand into Blaine's, moving it out of the fist it was in, "Let's talk about something else?"

"Thank you," Blaine said quietly, only to be cut off by a woman with long red hair.

"Welcome to Café Loren, I'm Charlotte and I'll be your waitress. What can I get you started with?"

"Water with lime, please?" Kurt asked with a smile as he traced his fingers over the watch on Blaine's wrist.

"And for you?" she asked, smiling at Blaine. "I'll have water with lemon."

"Any appetizers?"

Kurt frowned, he hadn't even looked at the menu yet. "You know this place better than I do," he said, "any ideas?"

"Do you like calamari?" Blaine asked with a hopeful smile.

"I do."

"We'll have that then," Blaine said with a huge smile for the waitress. It bothered Kurt slightly that Blaine could so quickly change emotions. He wondered how long it had taken Blaine to perfect that action, how many times he had to cover something with a smile.

Instead of mentioning it, Kurt continued perusing the menu.

"I'm sorry to put a damper on the date," Blaine said quietly, "I should have known I would screw this up."

"No!" Kurt wanted to wrap his arms around Blaine and just hold him. "Do you know how it has been killing me that you are practically perfect?"

Blaine laughed loudly at that, "I am so far from perfect."

Kurt tried to casually wrap his foot around Blaine's ankle, just enough so that they were touching as much as possible. He was surprised at how different this all felt. It felt nothing like how it did with Paul. It was…innocent, almost.

It was the exact opposite of what Kurt thought he had wanted.

Charlotte came back soon after with their appetizers and they both ordered dinner. Kurt had decided on the pan roasted halibut while Blaine went with a more classic pan seared scallops entrée that he had apparently ordered at least once a summer since he was younger.

When they finally settled into their appetizers, Kurt tried to come up with a topic of conversation that they both could talk about without bringing up any hard feelings. He wanted the rest of the date to be light and hopeful instead of dwelling on their pasts.

"So what is the most played song on your IPod?" Kurt asked with a grin.

Blaine set his fork down and thought for a few seconds. "Oh god, I'm not sure. I tend to get really sick of a song in the middle of it and turn it once the chorus becomes the main part of it all. But I think it would probably be "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel."

"Really?" Kurt smiled, "that's probably why you got along with my father so much. That's one of his favorites as well."

Blaine ducked his head and moved back as Charlotte came back with their meals.

"Everything looks amazing," Blaine said to Charlotte, "as usual."

She grinned, "If you need anything just let me know."

Kurt had to admit that it looked like the best food he'd had in awhile. He wasn't sure why, but he was suddenly hungrier than he'd been before the appetizer.

"What about you?" Blaine asked as he speared a scallop. "Number one song."

"Well "Defying Gravity" obviously," Kurt said with a grin, "it's a modern day classic. Even people who don't know about Broadway know the song."

Blaine looked guilty, "I actually don't have it on my IPod."

Kurt set his fork down with a clatter, "Well this date is obviously over."

"No!" Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand dramatically, "I will add it as soon as I get home. Right away."

Kurt picked up his fork, "You've heard it, right?"

"Of course I've heard it! Who hasn't? I just don't have a very big IPod so I need to switch out my music occasionally." Blaine kept his hand in Kurt's now, "I have a pretty extensive music collection so I just go by what I'm feeling."

"So what are you listening to right now?" Kurt knew he was digging, but he needed to get any information he could about Blaine while the boy was in a particularly sharing mood.

"The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, The Creation, The Move, Traffic, David Bowie, King Crimson, and of course Roxy Music," Blaine listed them off easily. "I also enjoy some Katy Perry occasionally."

"One of these things is not like the others," Kurt laughed loudly.

Blaine blushed again, "Like I said, my tastes really have changed a lot in the last few years essentially. What about you? What's on your IPod that would shock me?"

Kurt leaned forward and dropped his voice, "I'm sure there's a lot about me that would surprise you, Blaine. I went through a Mellencamp phase."

Blaine nodded, "Not so surprising given your father."

Kurt took that as a challenge. He found himself not caring if Blaine judged him based on what was on his IPod. "Lately I've been listening to Bruno Mars, The Killers, The Beatles, Coldplay, and bands like that mostly."

Blaine looked faintly surprised, "I have Veggie Tales on my IPod," he blurted before turning the most brilliant shade of red. "Oh my god I cannot believe I just told you that. Forget I said it. Please. Forget."

Kurt couldn't even speak because he was trying to keep himself from smiling. "Veggie Tales?" he said eventually.

"I am mortified," Blaine mumbled, "Oh my god, I am mortified."

"If my lips ever left my mouth," Kurt sang lightly, "packed a bag and headed south…"

"That be too bad, I'd be so sad," Blaine laughed. "Oh my god, you know them too?"

"My mom was big on Sunday school," Kurt said dryly, "those things follow you around." He paused for a second and couldn't help but make fun of Blaine for a little longer, "So what exactly is your excuse?"

Blaine shrugged, "I found them on YouTube one day and kept listening to them. They made me laugh all the time. I even tried to get my show choir to sing "Dance of the Cucumber" but they wouldn't let me."

Kurt snorted into his plate, "You have got to be kidding me."

Blaine shook his head, "I cannot believe I told you that. I can't believe it. At all."

Kurt looked down at his plate and sighed, "I'm full." He decided to give Blaine a break on the song thing.

"Me too. I was planning on being super romantic and splitting dessert but I can't even function right now," Blaine motioned to Charlotte so they could get the check. "Care to go for a walk?" Blaine asked while slipping Charlotte his credit card.

"You know, I can pay," Kurt argued.

"I know you can, but I asked you out."

Kurt seethed a little. He didn't want Blaine to think that he had to pay for him. He was quiet until Blaine signed the receipt and they walked out of the restaurant.

"Care to tell me why you're upset?" Blaine asked as he once again threaded his fingers into Kurt's and steered them toward the sidewalk away from the car.

Kurt sighed, "I just don't…I don't want a repeat of what happened with Paul. I don't want you to think that you have to pay for me. I want us to be equals. I feel like…like where I went wrong was acting like I didn't know as much as Paul."

Blaine pulled Kurt closer and instead wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, "You didn't do anything wrong, Kurt. He was just…he was a jerk. You need to know that I'm not going to do anything like Paul did. God, if you want to wait a little but until if doesn't hurt as much, I can do that. I can wait. As long as you promise not to date someone else in the mean time. Oh god, I mean…not like I'm trying to tell you what to do. I didn't mean it like that at all. I just meant that I waited this long, I can wait again…but I don't want to wait for something that you don't feel. I will still be your friend even if you don't…if you don't feel for me what I feel for you." Blaine started to pull away from Kurt to put distance between them.

Kurt immediately wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist and held his close, "Stop that. You know I feel a lot for you Blaine. Meg warned me about taking time to recoup after Paul. And she's right, it's only been a little over a day since all that…but Blaine I've had feelings for you for weeks. I trust you, I'm just afraid of what will happen if I do the same things."

Blaine nodded, "I know. I…at least we both have the advantage of this not being our first relationship? I mean, it's been awhile for me but I still think we'll be better off."

"You had a boyfriend before?" Kurt had never heard of the boy before.

Blaine laughed, "Oh yes. Jeremiah."

"That's all I get?"

Blaine laughed, "He basically did the same thing Paul did to you. He started dating me so I would go to senior prom with him. We went…we um…" Blaine trailed off.

"You what?"

"We had sex and then two weeks later he dumped me because he wanted to enjoy his last summer before college," Blaine said bluntly.

Kurt was stuck between feeling bad for Blaine and feeling bad for himself.

He would never be Blaine's first.

"Oh," he said eventually, "I'm sorry." Kurt had no idea how Blaine felt about the situation now.

"I'm over it," Blaine simply replied, "it took me awhile to get over it but eventually I did. He apologized later but I never saw him again."

"There's still time," Kurt said a bit darkly. He didn't want to have to fight someone for Blaine – though he gladly would.

"I was a freshman at the time," Blaine laughed, "I doubt he even thinks about me now."

Kurt stopped, "He took advantage of a freshman and he was a senior?"

"I wouldn't say he took advantage of me, I was willing at the time." Blaine didn't seem to be too broken up about it. "Mind you, I probably wasn't in the best mindset at the time being that I'd just…I just left my other school."

Kurt took a deep breath, "Let's stop talking about ex boyfriends."

"Jealous, I'll take that into consideration," Blaine chided.

Kurt couldn't help but smile. He usually hated when people teased him, and he'd even hated it when Blaine did it at first. Now he loved it. He wanted Blaine to tease him so he could tease right back.

"Let's go sit on the beach," Kurt said as he pulled Blaine toward the water.

"Kurt Hummel wants to go on the beach? I would have never thought." Blaine ran to catch up and they both walked quickly to get to the water.

Blaine immediately kicked his shoes off and rolled his pants up higher so he could run into the water.

"Why isn't anyone on the beach?" Kurt asked as he dared to do the same thing.

"This beach doesn't have guards so not as many people come here." Blaine explained, "it's mostly a private beach for people who live in those houses."

Blaine walked into the water, "Oh my god! It's so warm!" A smile broke out on his face, "I'll have to tell my brother how warm it is. He won't believe it at all. Every summer we came here and he would complain about how cold the water was."

Kurt smiled and tiptoed into the water as well, still not feeling really secure about any of it – especially now that he knew there was no lifeguard.

"Hold my hand?" he asked, reaching across the water to Blaine.

"Of course," Blaine grabbed his hand and pulled him out further into the water.

Kurt immediately let go of Blaine's hand and wrapped both arms around his torso, sighing when Blaine wrapped his around Kurt's waist and held him.

It didn't matter that his pants were getting wet.

It didn't matter that seaweed was hitting his legs.

He didn't care that a few drops hit his face.

He felt happy and secure, something he never thought he would actually feel.

It amazed Kurt that it really didn't feel any different than it normally did. They were still talking about anything and everything that came to their minds. They were still flirting and joking around like they normally did.

But it was still so, so different at the very same time.

Blaine was touchier, more intimate in the smallest things. Kurt thought he found out more about Blaine in one date than he had the entire time they were friends.

The word innocent once again crept into Kurt's mind. Everything felt like it was supposed to for a relationship that would last, would simmer for a while.

Not like the quick burning he felt toward Paul at the beginning that had faded before they even were a week in.

Blaine looked over and Kurt and smiled lightly, "Can I kiss you?"

Kurt wanted to be sexy and intriguing but instead broke out into another giddy smile. "Please."

Blaine leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against Kurt's, nose bumping gently into Kurt's. Blaine twisted in Kurt's arms and wrapped them around his neck, leaning against him. Kurt pressed a little more firmly, effectively parting Blaine's lips and brushed his tongue against Blaine's.

It was like something lit beneath them.

Blaine pressed against Kurt harder, and Kurt fisted his hands into Blaine's shirt. Their teeth clacked together and Blaine was mussing Kurt's hair but they weren't paying attention to that.

When they pulled away Blaine was breathing heavily and Kurt felt slightly weak as he tried to breath normally.

Kurt grinned at Blaine – maybe they wouldn't be so innocent for long.

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><p><strong>Thank you guys so much for reading. :)<strong>


	15. Trying Times

**AN: So I'm not sure what's going on with deleting stories and whatnot, and I'm not sure if it'll happen to me. I do post over at Scarves & Coffee, though I am a few chapters behind. If this somehow gets deleted, I will continue posting over there. After this story is finished I will be posting everything else I've written (starting with Once in a Blue Moon) there as well. For now, we continue here. :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Kurt had a problem.

A huge problem that caused him to be incapable of concentrating on anything and consumed most of his waking thought.

A huge problem that caused him to ignore the phone calls of Rachel, his father, and even the presence of his aunt.

He wanted to be around Blaine even more than he did before, and he knew it was a problem.

It had only been two days since their first date, but the physical ache of being away from him frightened Kurt.

He was counting down the minutes until he could see Blaine again, constantly staring at the clock and hoping the hands would move faster.

"A watched pot never boils," Emma chirped as she bustled into the sewing room to check the progress on the waistcoat Kurt was working on, "just like a watched clock never moves."

Kurt fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't care if looking at the clock wouldn't make it move, he just wanted to know it actually was moving. "I know," he relented, "but Blaine is coming over for lunch and I just really want to see him."

Emma stopped patting the tails of the coat, "Blaine? That is the one with the hair, correct?"

Kurt preened, "Yes. He's my…we're…seeing each other." He knew Emma wouldn't judge him because Blaine was a boy, but he wasn't sure if she would react the same way Meg did about him seeing someone else.

Thankfully, she did nothing but give him a tight-lipped smile, "You should ask him to the Victorian Ball tonight. We have suits in the back that would fit both of you!"

Kurt honestly hadn't thought about asking Blaine to the Victorian Ball. Emma had asked if she could wear the red dress to the ball because her other dress wouldn't accommodate her growing stomach. At the moment, he was constructing her husband's outfit for the night as well.

"I could ask him," Kurt mused through the pins in his mouth, "but he probably has to work tonight. He works all the time."

Emma nodded sympathetically, "Well you should still try. You never know what could happen."

Kurt finished sewing another button on the coat and leaned back, appraising the jacket a final time. "I'll consider it. This looks about done, do you mind if I take lunch now?"

Emma nodded her head but grabbed his arm, "I wasn't joking. We have tons of outfits downstairs that would just take minimal tailoring to actually work."

Kurt pulled out his buzzing phone, "I will ask him if it will make you happy."

Emma smiled, "Good, take some extra time if you need it."

Once again Kurt thought that this could be his life. He could own a small tailoring shop and just settle with that. He could work to make people look great in other people's designs instead of his own. Would it allow him to be fulfilled? With the other parts of his life falling into place, he thought he could be.

But he wasn't sure he wanted to be fulfilled with only that, so he made sure to grab a few of the pictures Emma had taken of the dress to send off just to remind the schools in New York exactly who Kurt Hummel was.

Kurt opened the door of the shop and saw Blaine leaning against the railing, waiting for him. "Good afternoon," he said, reaching out to grab Blaine's hand.

Blaine leaned in close and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "Good afternoon to you as well." Blaine smelled like saltwater and sunscreen when he leaned in, and Kurt made sure to take a deep breath before Blaine moved away.

"Did you take the kids to the beach this morning?" Kurt asked as they walked toward the coffee house. Kurt knew he was neglecting Rachel too much so he has suggested they go there for lunch instead of somewhere outside.

He figured he'd kill two birds with one stone.

Blaine nodded excitedly, "I did. We tried to teach them how to surf because that's what they always ask. The water here isn't exactly the best for surfing though. I think they had a lot of fun." Kurt knew the waves were only about two feet high, if that, so he expected them to boogie board more than anything in the water. "We saw dolphins too," Blaine added, "so maybe we can go check them out later?"

Kurt felt the apprehension well up in his stomach. Now was the perfect time to ask Blaine about the Victorian Ball. He could just blurt it out and it would be over, whether Blaine said yes or no.

But he couldn't.

They hadn't really talked about where they fell on the relationship spectrum. Were they boyfriends? Were they dating? Were they somewhere in between?

"Hello?" Blaine asked, jokingly waving his fingers in front of Kurt's face, "Earth to Kurt?"

Kurt blinked his eyes and shook his head to clear the worry, "Sorry…I was thinking about something."

"Want to tell me what?" Blaine's voice was soft as he asked, eyes filling with worry.

Kurt squeezed his hand to show him that there was nothing for him to worry about.

The amount of worrying they did would one day make some doctor a very rich man, Kurt mused.

"I was actually wondering if you would go to the Victorian Ball with me?" Kurt grit out, not even looking up to see Blaine's reaction.

He was simply terrified.

Blaine reached out and gently grabbed Kurt's chin, "Hey now…don't do that. Don't be afraid to ask me something. I would love to go to the ball with you…"

"But you have to work?" Kurt asked, trying to keep the defeated tone out of his voice without much success.

"I have to work," Blaine confirmed. He was quiet for a minute, his grip tightening on Kurt's hand. He swung them a little, which Kurt thought meant he was thinking and didn't really want to be interrupted.

Kurt tried to hide his sadness. It had taken him a lot to ask Blaine, and he was already rejected. Maybe that would be a theme of his life – close but no cigar; the early bird who didn't get the worm.

"I'm sorry," Blaine's voice was almost imperceptible over the roar of the ocean. "I wish I didn't have to work but I'm getting overtime to do it and I had to fight about five other drivers just to get the job."

"It's fine," Kurt squeaked. He plastered a smile on his face and shrugged, "it was last minute anyway."

Blaine sighed heavily but said nothing, their hands still swinging between them. The walk to the coffee shop was long, but neither minded the extra time to think, the roar of the ocean blocking most possibilities to talk at anything less than a yell.

When they arrived at the coffee shop, Rachel was leaning against the counter with a magazine in her hand. "Kurt!" she gushed as she saw them and ran toward the pair. "It has been forever! I haven't seen you since last week!"

Kurt laughed, "That's hardly forever and you were in New York for most of the time!"

Rachel's eyes were wide as she nodded, "Kurt you have to get to New York. It is everything!"

Blaine cut her off, "Why don't we sit down and you can tell us all about it."

"Thank you," Kurt whispered to him. It wasn't that Kurt didn't want to hear about Rachel's happiness, he did. It was just that it hurt him to even think about it.

She had almost everything he wanted.

Blaine's hand stayed in his, and Kurt felt better. The sting wasn't quite so rough knowing that Blaine would still love him even if he had to work in a tailor shop in Lima, Ohio.

"I went to see my apartment," Rachel chirped in as soon as they say, "it is fabulous of course. It doesn't really have a great view but the space is…well it's a lot for New York, I'll say that. The only thing is that it kind of smells like curry. Not even the good curry, but that cheap take out kind that you only get from those corner restaurants in the city. I figured if I put some Wallflowers or something in there it will smell better. There is also a dog in the building, but I know for a fact that any mammalian animals are against the rules so I will be telling the landlord."

"It's good to make friends," Blaine nodded with a sly smile on his face.

Kurt laughed into his pasta salad but said nothing.

Rachel nodded, "I did! There are a few people in my classes that I met and they all seem really great. People in New York just have a different attitude than people anywhere else. I think they are more mature. I think even spending a week there has made me even more mature!"

The jingle of the bells caused Rachel's head to snap up, "Sorry, I have to go!" she said quickly before rushing behind the counter.

Kurt watched her run away before turning to Blaine, "That shouldn't hurt as much as it does."

Blaine put his fork down, "No, it should. You're an amazing guy and you should get opportunities like this! Your time will come, Kurt, and I can't wait to hold your hand through all of it."

Kurt could feel the blush on his face grow, "Do you really think so?"

Blaine rolled his eyes, "I know so! You just…you have to not be afraid. You have to take the bull by the horns! Look for what you want and take it!"

"And how do I do that?"

"Ask questions, be proactive! Have the courage to go out and make your own dreams come true!" Blaine's eyes were wide as he smiled, "Don't let life get you down, Kurt."

Kurt nodded, "That's great to say, Blaine. But it's also easier to say."

Blaine frowned, "I know. But when was the last time you did something that truly terrified you? When did you do something that scared you?"

Kurt took a deep breath, "When I asked you to the Victorian Ball."

Blaine seemed surprised by the answer. He was quiet for a few minutes, his eyes dancing over Kurt. When he spoke, his voice was surprisingly hoarse and broken, "You…you don't have to be scared to ask me anything."

"You said no," Kurt reminded him.

Blaine's eyes looked watery, "Kurt…I wanted to say yes. I would love to go to the ball with you. I just…I can't take another day off of work."

Kurt nodded, the pressure behind his eyes that he'd been fighting was winning, "I know. I know work is important. I just…" he stood as soon as he realized that he was going to lose the battle with the pressure. "Excuse me…"

Kurt ran to the bathroom at the back of the shop and slammed the door shut, leaning against it.

Was he ever going to be enough?

Would anyone ever go out on a limb for him?

Why was his life filled with disappointment after disappointment?

Kurt didn't know how long he stayed in the bathroom. It could have been hours. Now, on top of being upset about not having a date for the Victorian Ball, he now was embarrassed.

Everyone who was in the shop had seen him run away from Blaine, and they probably knew why.

A soft knock sounded at the door, "Mister, are you still in there? I have to pee!"

Kurt opened the door quickly and a little blonde haired boy almost fell into the small room. "I'm sorry, it's all yours."

Kurt walked out of the bathroom to find Blaine and Rachel sitting together. Rachel looked angry while Blaine just looked distraught.

"I'm sorry," Blaine said loudly as soon as he was aware of Kurt, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"It's fine," Kurt said as he sat heavily, "I just…I was upset and I shouldn't have been."

"You have every right to feel whatever emotion you want, Kurt," Blaine stressed. "I shouldn't have been an inconsiderate jerk."

Kurt leaned over and kissed Blaine's cheek, "You are not an inconsiderate jerk."

Blaine laughed, "I'll take your word for it."

"You two are disgusting already," Rachel said, her nose wrinkled, "I don't want to see you in the future."

Blaine laughed and leaned over to lay his head on Kurt's shoulder, "I do," he whispered to Kurt.

Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist as they sat in the cool of the shop, mentally preparing to go back out into the already overwhelming heat. Blaine's hair tickled Kurt's neck, but he didn't complain.

"We have to get moving," Blaine said, leaning up to kiss at Kurt's neck, "I promised Puck I'd be back at work soon."

"Ew," Rachel murmured as she collected their trash, "I can't believe you associate with someone like that."

"You know, he's not all that bad," Blaine said defensively, "he's actually a pretty great guy if people give him a chance."

Kurt had never seen Blaine snap like that before, and he had to admit – it was hot.

"He's fantastic," Rachel snorted, "he was an asshole all through school."

Blaine's eyes softened, "He told me about what happened with him in high school. Yeah, he made some bad decisions, but don't we all?"

"You know and you still live with him? Blaine he almost killed that poor kid!" Rachel had her hands balled at her sides.

"Exaggeration," Blaine said quietly, "it was all exaggerated to make Puck look like the bad guy. You know he was just standing up for someone else? Protecting someone who couldn't protect himself?"

Rachel looked away, "I thought...I had heard…."

Blaine shook his head, "God there are too many emotions in my life today."

Kurt laughed a little, "That's Rachel for you, I've noticed." Kurt wanted to save Blaine just like Blaine had saved him when they arrived, "Blaine and I have to get going, but you two can continue this some other time."

"Thank you…I'm just in a really bad mood today," Blaine grumbled as they stepped back into the heat.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, "Look, you always tell me I can talk to you about anything but you never return the favor. Why are you in a bad mood?"

"My brother woke me up this morning and yelled at me for about twenty minutes," Blaine began, "and then he called again because he thought he hadn't quite knocked me down the pole enough."

Kurt knew there was some sort of sibling rivalry between the two boys, but he never knew how much there really was. "Why was he yelling at you?"

"I've been taking days off at work," Blaine answered simply, "So I'm not sending as much money home."

Kurt was confused, "I thought you went to Dalton Academy?"

"I did," Blaine looked even more confused than Kurt felt. "Why?"

"I know this is going to sound stupid, but if you went to Dalton Academy, why in the world do you need to send money home to your family?" Kurt hated seeing Blaine overwork himself and he hoped there was a good reason for all of the jobs Blaine had.

Blaine took a breath but didn't answer right away. Kurt could feel his pulse quicken in his wrist, "My family…the family that I live with meaning my mother and I basically…and I guess Coop now…we don't really have the money. When my parents divorced my dad took almost everything with him thanks to a pre-nup my grandparents made them get."

"Can't your mom get a job or something?" Kurt treaded lightly. He didn't want to prod Blaine into giving any information he wasn't comfortable sharing, but it was all so confusing.

Blaine was quiet again, for almost a block this time. "It isn't that simple," he said eventually, "my mom...medically cannot work at the present time."

"Can she in the future?"

Blaine shook his head, "I'm not sure, really. That's why I'm sending money home so that she can get the treatment she really needs."

"Your dad won't even help with that?" Kurt wondered how. Had Blaine's dad never really loved his wife?

"It's complicated," Blaine sighed, "he would normally help her, I think. But…she just…if we win the court case it should all be fine and I can put money away so I could technically start school this year." Blaine paused for a long time.

Kurt bristled, "Court case?"

Blaine seemed to choke on the air, "Oh…I…oh god."

Kurt rubbed his back, "We don't have to talk about it anymore."

"Thank you. I will tell you…I just…I don't want to today…if that makes sense." Blaine shook his head, "I want to tell you, just I don't want it to be today," he tried to clarify.

"It's okay," Kurt soothed.

Blaine stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk and pressed a long kiss into Kurt's lips, "Thank you for understanding."

Kurt smiled happily, "That's what I'm here for."

Blaine pressed another chaste kiss into Kurt's lips before humming to himself.

They walked in silence some more, but this time it was not as trying as it had been.

Blaine's phone rang right before they got back to the shop and he made Kurt wait. "Just give me one second. I want to say goodbye properly." Blaine walked away briefly, "Hello?"

Kurt couldn't hear the conversation so he looked around at the houses. They were all so quaint and perfect looking. It amazed Kurt that most of the time people didn't even live in them.

"Thank you so much!" Blaine said loudly on the phone, "I owe you. Seriously, anytime you need me, I'm there!" He hung up the phone and ran to Kurt.

"Good news?"

"Great news!"

"What was it?"

Blaine reached down and grabbed Kurt's hands, "Ask me again."

"Good news?" Kurt tried, enunciating the question.

"Not that one, the Victorian Ball question." Blaine smiled proudly at Kurt, "come on, ask it!"

"Blaine, will you go to the Victorian Ball with me?" Kurt could feel the hope pooling in his stomach, "please?"

"Yes," Blaine yelled, "yes I will!"

"God, then come in the shop, we have a lot of tailoring to do!" Kurt said before pressing a few sloppy kisses all over Blaine's face.

Some risks were worth it.

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><p><strong>Sorry for a bit of angst, I can't help myself sometimes.<strong>


	16. Victorian Ball pt 1

**Hello everyone! This is part one of the ball, the second part will come on Monday! That being said, if ANYONE is going to the Apocalyptour on Sunday in NYC, please do NOT hesitate to come over and say hello! Also, if anyone is good at paint and wants to make a cover for this story (since we can now do that!) or any of my other stories, I would love you forever. :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Kurt knew it was stupid to be nervous. He knew deep down, that Blaine would care about him no matter what he looked like, what he wore, or how he wore it.

He knew that one night couldn't ruin the foundation they set up.

Nevertheless, he was still terrified about the ball. He wanted to repeatedly hit himself over the head for even bringing the topic up because he now had to figure out how to look good in fashion that had been dead for years, and rightfully so in his opinion. He should have known that he would be terrified all night that something would go wrong.

A part of him still wanted to call Blaine and call the entire thing off, he just wanted to spend the night in the living room, watching movies and throwing popcorn at each other.

He did not have to go out. They could be one of those couples that never go out.

This was precisely the reason he never went to dances or any extracurricular activities at school – he always psyched himself out of them.

All the time.

Mercedes had tried to convince him to go to prom one, and he had even gone so far as to rent a tux, but he next day he called everything off and decided to spend his night reading back issues of Vogue.

He was not sure he regretted it – they could have poured blood on him like they did in _Carrie _ or thrown pee balloons at him.

Mercedes had been mad, but she understood that Kurt was terrified of what could have happened had he gone to the dance. They would have found a way to humiliate him, he was absolutely positive of that.

However, Kurt wanted to be different for Blaine, he wanted to prove for the last time that high school had no ruined him and instead that he would stand apart and be a man, be a human being that did _not _hide from his own shadow every single time things were a little scary.

In addition, really, what could be so scary about a Victorian dance?

Other than the fact that gay couples at the time were publically hanged or maliciously mocked into oblivion. That was one tradition Kurt hoped they didn't keep.

He had thought the whole thing would be romantic.

Kurt wondered what Blaine would wear to the ball. He had not shown Kurt the outfit he chose because he wanted it to be special and claimed that Kurt seeing it would bring "bad luck" to them at the dance. Since Kurt was rarely a betting man, he let it go, though he reminded Blaine that this was nothing like a wedding.

Kurt glanced in the mirror again and double-checked to make sure the wrinkles were all out of his outfit. He had pressed it several times already, but knew that wrinkles formed easily in this type of clothing. They were not actually from the 1800s, but instead were made a few years back to replicate the style.

Kurt chose something a little outlandish that only the richest of men would wear, but he figured if they were going to pretend to be Victorian, they could also pretend to be filthy rich. He wore pinstripe pants that fit just a _little_ too snug, but that's how he preferred them anyway. They were a gray color that was not quite black, but someone with a less sharp eye could call it that. He paired it with a slightly lighter gray vest that nipped him in nicely at the waist, and then a black shirt that looked silk but was not. He had a brown coat that he was not thrilled about, but was assured by Emma that was definitely in fashion at the time. He added a top hat to the ensemble and sighed.

It wasn't his style, and he knew he was going to be hot, but he also knew that he had to be the best dressed man at the ball.

Just in case.

Kurt heard the doorbell ring and ran down the steps quickly. He was the only one in the house at the time and didn't want Blaine to wait. When he opened the door, he felt all of his breath leave him.

Blaine stood there in a similar pair of dark gray pants, a navy vest, a red scarf handing around his neck, a darker navy coat that pulled in his waist and looked amazing next to his quickly darkening skin. He too had a top hat and a cane, which Kurt hoped would not get in the way of the evening.

However, what really took Kurt's breath away was the carriage behind Blaine.

"A carriage?" Kurt broke the silence of them just looking at each other. "You got a carriage to take us to the ball?"

Blaine grinned and scratched at his neck, "Yeah…Is it took much?"

"Too much?" Kurt was shocked, how could he think it was too much? "I absolutely love it! I never…it's so romantic!"

Blaine blushed to his hairline, "You really think so? I've never really been all that great at romance…"

"I don't believe that for a second," Kurt said as he offered Blaine his arm.

"You probably should, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment," Blaine said as he opened the carriage door and help Kurt.

Truthfully, it wasn't exactly what Kurt had imagined. The seat was a little uncomfortable, and the smell of the horse was somewhat overpowering his senses. Blaine sat next to him on the tiny seat, and it was good they were dating because the seat forced them to be touching.

Blaine closed the door and leaned over to press a chaste kiss into Kurt's lips, momentarily distracting him from his surroundings.

Kurt didn't register the driver making the noise to signal the horses and when they started moving, and the momentum caused him to jerk backwards.

"Watch it," Blaine giggled in his ear, "I don't want you to fall out."

Kurt huddled closer to Blaine, "Hold on so I don't fall out?" He didn't really think he would, but if felt nice that he could have someone who would hold him.

He was reminded again how simple, right, and safe he felt with Blaine. He wasn't sure he'd felt that way with anyone in his life before, including his family.

"Of course," Blaine whispered, huddling closer to him. Their top hats bumped into each other and Kurt was a little worried they would be blown off, but he wouldn't mention it for fear that Blaine would either move away or take the hat off.

"Can I kiss you?" Blaine asked, his breath tickling Kurt's neck and making goose bumps break out on his skin.

"Of course," Kurt mimicked, turning and taking the initiative to kiss Blaine, cupping his face and bringing Blaine in to deepen the kiss.

Just as Kurt was about to lose himself in the kiss, he heard a wolf whistle. He pulled away with a blush.

Blaine grinned, pressing his forehead against Kurt's, pushing their hats back again. "Don't be embarrassed," Blaine pressed a few more kisses into Kurt's lips, "please!"

Kurt laughed, "I'll try."

Blaine continued kissing Kurt, pressing a few kisses here and there on Kurt's neck and cheeks, dipping up to kiss his earlobe, "Have I told you how absolutely amazing you look tonight?" he whispered, making the hair on the back of Kurt's neck stand up.

Kurt tried not to giggle in nervousness, "N-no."

"Well then I made a very big mistake," Blaine pressed a wet kiss onto Kurt's neck, "very big. You are simply gorgeous."

Kurt couldn't help but preen under Blaine's hands, "Y-you're just saying that."

"Hmm…no, I'm not," he laughed a little, "I'm giving you the attention you deserve."

Kurt turned and looked at Blaine, "You're silly."

Blaine laughed again and kissed Kurt's cheek before moving back slightly, his arm still wrapped securely around Kurt's waist.

Relatively calmed down, Kurt was able to enjoy the short amount of the ride left. The sound of the horses soothed him as the pastel houses flew by them.

It was beautiful. The sun was just setting over the bay, reflecting the pink, orange, and yellow into the glistening water. A few stragglers on the shoreline walked, mostly lovers hand in hand and joggers. Kurt fell into Blaine's shoulder, laying his head on the crook between Blaine's neck and shoulder. He looked up and saw that the stars started peeking out in the purple sky.

He could not imagine a more romantic scene.

Too soon, the horse was going down the dock to the place where the ball was held. The scene was beautiful, the dock was lined with white linen and tiny tea candles marked every board. The actual hall was beautiful, and Kurt could see and smell the flowers that were on the inside. The music was not Victorian; he could hear a soft voice and a gentle piano playing in the background. Couples were dancing together, and others were sipping champagne on the sides of the dock, watching the sunset.

"Do you think people will be angry that we are here?" Kurt worried, thinking about anything that could ruin their night.

"No," Blaine soothed his hand down Kurt's back, "I really don't think anyone will care. Most people know and love your Aunt Meg, and I would like to think I made a few friends while working this summer."

Kurt got out of the carriage first, ready to be on solid ground. He turned and held his hand out to Blaine.

He deserved to have a romantic night as well.

Blaine gripped Kurt's hand and smiled softly, "Thank you."

Kurt grinned and moved his arm so Blaine could grab it, "This really is beautiful."

Blaine nodded, slightly in awe of the building, "Thank you for making me realize that there are things that are more important than working."

"Thank you for getting me out of the house," Kurt leaned closer, slowing their walk so they could enjoy the beauty for a few seconds longer.

The ball was even more beautiful up close. Everyone was dressed to the nines as they danced in a much more modern style.

"They have a waltz competition," Kurt tried to hide his smile as he pointed to the sign.

"Do you want to join?" Blaine asked as he moved toward the signup sheet.

"No…we don't have to," Kurt shook his head, "I'm not sure…do you even know how to waltz?"

"I do," Blaine wrote their names down quickly before Kurt could take the pen, "plus, the winning couple gets their photograph in the gallery forever. We could be immortalized! That would be a great story to tell our grandchildren!"

"Our grandchildren?" Kurt coughed.

Blaine turned and all of the blood drained from his face, "Oh my god. Please tell me I didn't say that out loud."

"You did."

Blaine bit his lip and looked up, "I'm sorry, can we just forget I said that? I didn't…sometimes I just get so wrapped up that I say things I don't really….that I shouldn't really say out loud."

Kurt leaned over and kissed his red cheek, "Stop worrying. I think about stuff like that too. All the time," he admitted.

"Really?"

Kurt nodded.

"What do you think about?" Blaine's voice was suddenly higher and he leaned in to Kurt.

"Us," Kurt said after a long pause, "living together in an apartment. Waking you up with a cup of coffee. Painting the room together. Really….really simple things."

"I love that," Blaine said, "I think about it too."

"What do you think about?"

"New York," Blaine admitted, "us living together in New York in this beautiful apartment that overlooks Central Park. We have a dog, maybe a small one that is fluffy and adorable and even though you probably hate dogs you'll still put up with one for me because I've always wanted a dog and my dad never got me one…"

Kurt laughed, "I would love to co-parent a dog with you, Blaine. A small dog. A very small dog."

Blaine was about to reply when they heard "Excuse me?" from the familiar voice of a woman behind them said.

Kurt braced himself and turned around to see Rachel standing with a smile on her face. She wore a bright yellow dress that Kurt wasn't quite sure fit the theme. "It's nice to see you."

"Will you dance with me?" Rachel asked with a grin, "I'd like to talk to you."

Kurt wasn't sure he wanted to dance with Rachel. "Why?"

"I don't have a date and I would like to have at least one dance tonight," Rachel said sadly. Kurt remembered that Rachel never had a date in high school either.

"Of course," Kurt looked back at Blaine who was frowning slightly, "but only one. I need to spend the rest of the night dancing with my handsome date."

Rachel waved lightly at Blaine who smiled back, though Kurt knew that something was still wrong. "I wish I could be beautiful like her," Rachel nodded toward Quinn who was wearing a slate gray dress, "and then I could have a boyfriend."

Kurt turned Rachel away from the dancing pair. "You will find someone amazing who will love you for you," he assured her, "I did, which means that anyone can."

Rachel looked up at him sadly, "You deserved love and you're amazing."

Kurt blushed when he realized what he said, "We aren't…we don't..I mean…he doesn't…it isn't…oh god, we aren't using the L word yet." Kurt glanced over to see his boyfriend dancing with a short, tan girl who wore a huge princess style pink dress with a leopard jacket and gloves. "We haven't been dating that long."

"But you'll get there," Rachel confirmed, her eyes following Kurt's vision. "That's Sugar Motta. Her family owns like half of Brigantine."

Kurt watched as Blaine dipped the girl, both of them laughing. Blaine was so naturally charismatic with people. "Sometimes I wonder what he sees in me."

"Your ass," Rachel said dryly, "is fantastic."

"You've looked?" Kurt quirked an eyebrow at the girl.

"Yes," Rachel said as the song ended. "That was my first slow dance."

"Mine too," Kurt realized. He felt a little bad that he couldn't give that to Blaine.

Rachel clapped happily, "I'm glad we got to share that together."

Kurt gave her a tight-lipped smile, "I'm going to go dance with my boyfriend now. Will you be okay?"

Rachel nodded, "I will sing later, promise me you're critique it?"

Kurt made his way over to Blaine who was now leaning against a pillar with a smile. He watched as Kurt walked toward him.

"Drinks?" Kurt suggested, not wanting to get his hopes up.

Blaine's face fell, "I was hoping maybe we could dance first?"

A song was starting and Blaine reached out his hand.

"Of course," Kurt pulled Blaine in, allowing the shorter boy to put his head on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt led them slowly to the song.

_Unspeakable  
>Like a truth unsaid<br>The thought of you  
>Fills my tired head<em>

Blaine pulled back and looked deeply into Kurt's eyes, "Kurt…I really, really care about you." His voice was somewhat hoarse.

Kurt knew the deeper meaning in the words and he knew that they couldn't say them. Not yet, they couldn't be that couple. "I really care about you too," he said lightly.

Blaine leaned in again and kissed him. Kurt loved that they could be open like this, that no one would care that they were two men.

Your hand in mine  
>Taking left in right<br>As we combine  
>Joining black and white<p>

Blaine took the lead a little, moving Kurt toward the larger group of people. No one noticed or said anything as they two boys twirled onto the dance floor. Blaine's hand burned against Kurt's waist and he gripped tighter.

"You're a great dancer," Kurt breathed, "I didn't think…I wasn't sure….I thought because you went to an all boys' school that you wouldn't have practice."

"I had to keep up Anderson appearances and take the Crawford County girls to dances. That's where I learned to waltz."

_Turn out the light and we'll dance through the night  
>Spinning slow<br>As our hearts beat in stereo  
>Twirling around in the wake of this beautiful sound<br>Sway with the breeze in three hundred and sixty degrees  
>Yeah, our hearts beat for days like these<br>Soak up the moment and promise you won't let it go  
><em>

"So it wasn't with Ninet Himelfarb?" Kurt tried to sound upset.

Blaine laughed, "No, nor was it with the French Ambassador's daughter."

Kurt grinned. Blaine actually got his jokes. Someone understood the reference and didn't judge him for it.

Blaine made him feel normal for the first time.

_Your breathing slows  
>As we gently sway<br>The music stops  
>But we keep going anyway<em>

The skyline fades  
>Trading red for blue<br>But I don't care  
>'Cause I'm here with you<p>

They spent the rest of the night dancing together. Kurt had chanced a dip and almost dropped Blaine from the look on his face.

"I didn't know you were that strong," Blaine laughed when he was final back on a normal level.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," Kurt joked.

"I hope to learn them all one day," Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck and hugged him tight.

"Ladies and gentlemen, would the contestants in the Waltz contest please come to the front of the room!" a voice said over the microphone.

"Oh good lord, I forgot about that," Kurt said as he heart dropped.

**To be continued!**


	17. Victorian Ball pt 2

**Remember when I was going to update on Monday? That was until someone tried to get into my account and they locked me out for a few days. But I'm back, and this is the continuation of the Victorian Ball. I also wanted to thank MarieKeJee on tumblr for making artwork for this story. :) Warning: mentions of past violence**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

Kurt felt the flare of nerves in the pit of his stomach as soon as the announcement was made. He knew he shouldn't be nervous, that the other people didn't have training either. Still, he feared making a fool of himself in front of Blaine. His boyfriend had gone to private school, and they most likely taught him how to dance and do the things that had failed Kurt in private school.

"You're going to be amazing," Blaine whispered, straightening the hat on Kurt's head. "Please don't worry or over think it."

"Showman's promise?" Kurt had always liked to tease Blaine about his pastas the lead singer for his school's show choir. Secretly, Kurt was jealous. He'd always wanted to join his own school's glee club, but knew they would never accept him.

Blaine grinned, his cheeks sporting their now characteristic blush, "Showman's promise."

"Do you think anyone has ever died out there? Like literally fell over?" Kurt was feeling lightheaded and knew his skin was visibly paler than it usually was.

"Okay, calm down," Blaine reached over to a table as they walked by, grabbing Kurt a cup of punch. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"You wouldn't be upset?" Kurt wanted to, he wanted to dance more than anything.

"I wouldn't be upset if you thought it was going to physically harm you," Blaine began, both of his arms gripping Kurt's biceps, "but I would care if you were doing it because you are afraid."

Kurt gripped Blaine's hand tighter. He still wasn't sure how the population of Cape May would take to their dancing together. He was afraid, but he was more annoyed with himself for being afraid of everything. "I…I am afraid but I want to do this..."

Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt's forehead softly, "Just look at me the whole time, okay? Don't pay attention to any of the other couples or anyone watching."

The man in charge of the competition moved Kurt and Blaine to a corner of the dance floor.

Blaine placed his left arm over Kurt's, grabbing his hand. Kurt smiled and placed a firm hand right under Blaine's shoulder blade.

Blaine looked directly into Kurt's eyes and it was as if something clicked and Kurt couldn't see the faces of anyone else in the room. Blaine was smiling in an easy way that was rare, even though most of his smiles lately were true.

"Have I told you how handsome you look?" Kurt whispered while the other couples were getting into place.

Blaine ducked his head, "You have, but it was nice to hear it again."

The music started, and Kurt was glad to know that he had danced to the song before.

_Moon river, wider than a mile  
>I'm crossing you in style someday<br>Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker  
>Wherever you're going, I'm going your way<em>

They quickly found their footing, laughing and twirling around the ballroom. Other couples were spinning out and doing more complicated moves.

"We can do that," Blaine said with a sparkle in his eye.

Kurt watched a woman twirl into her husband's arms, "How?"

Blaine grinned and shifted his grip, and Kurt caught on just at the last minute. He extended his arm so Blaine could spin out. Kurt felt rebellious so he gave an extra pull to Blaine's arm, sending him spinning back faster and dipping him close to the floor at the last moment.

Because they were both strong, their twirls and dips could be more powerful than most couples.

_Two drifters, off to see the world  
>There's such a lot of world to see<br>We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend  
>My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me<em>

Blaine didn't flinch when Kurt dipped him low again. When Kurt lifted Blaine back up, over half of the dance floor had been cleared. Kurt hadn't even noticed anyone going around and tapping couples out.

Blaine changed the grip on Kurt, twirling them around, "Your turn?" he asked in a slightly breathless voice.

Kurt nodded, his heart in his throat. He knew from watching enough So You Think You Can Dance that he had to extend his arms out to make an impression.

Blaine was stronger than he was, and the force of the twirl and the dip took his breath away.

_Moon river, wider than a mile  
>I'm crossing you in style someday<br>Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker  
>Wherever you're going, I'm going your way<em>

Kurt came up from the dip and hit Blaine's chest hard, going weak in the knees and laughing along with Blaine.

As they twirled, Kurt saw only one other couple on the floor – an older man who was dancing with a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties.

"We have this," Blaine laughed into his ear, "we are going to win."

Kurt didn't even pay attention to his feet anymore. He could only feel the heat from Blaine's chest and the pressure of Blaine's fingertips on his back.

They moved further, and Kurt could hear the cheers.

No one was mocking them.

No one was laughing.

No one was angry.

Kurt felt a rush of exhilaration. He was surrounded by people who didn't judge him and Blaine, who actually cared about him and wanted to make him feel as good as possible.

_Two drifters, off to see the world  
>There's such a lot of world to see<br>We're after that same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend  
>My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me<em>

The dance ended and Blaine and Kurt clung to each other. Kurt's heart was beating quickly as Blaine wrapped his arms under Kurt's and just breathed heavily into Kurt's neck.

The other couple was already standing in the middle of the dance floor when Kurt and Blaine finally broke apart. "Let's go win," Blaine whispered.

Kurt didn't want to get his hopes up, but he smiled and nodded, "We really did great, didn't we?"

Blaine didn't answer, but pulled Kurt toward the center of the room. He had a smile on his face that made Kurt's heart feel light.

It really didn't matter if they lost.

"Okay," the large man said into a microphone, "we are doing this by popular vote. The couple that gets the most cheers will be the couple that wins this year's Waltz competition, sound simple enough?"

Kurt felt his hopes slightly lesson; no one would ever vote for the gay couple.

Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt's cheek, "Let's be as adorably cute as we can, okay?"

Kurt thought it wasn't a good idea. He threw his arm over Blaine's shoulder and rested his hand in the crook of Blaine's neck.

Blaine's pulse was beating wildly, though his face looked as calm and put together as possible.

"First we have Mr. and Mrs. Calamaci of Avalon," he placed a thick hand over the head of the woman. The cheers were loud, and there were some woops from the section they sat in.

But Kurt was sure it could be louder.

"Now we have these two young men, Mr. Blaine Anderson of Westerville, Ohio and Mr. Kurt Hummel of Lima, Ohio," the man's face lit up in delight, "Oh! And it says here you met in Cape May where you are both working this summer?"

Blaine nodded, "That's right, Sir."

The man clapped, "Good, good! Summer love," he put his hand over Blaine's head, "Cheers for this couple?"

Kurt thought the room would be filled with maybe a few pity claps and perhaps a boo or two. What he heard was completely different.

The cheers were deafening as Blaine started jumping up and down next to him, clutching onto his shoulder. "We won," Blaine said into his ear, kissing him as he came down. "We won! Our picture will be here forever!"

"The winners of the Waltz Competition this year are Mr. Kurt Hummel and Mr. Blaine Anderson!" the man cheered, "Congratulations, boys!"

Kurt threw caution to the wind and pulled Blaine in for another dance. They twirled around the room together, waving to the people who came up to congratulate them. No one said anything against them, and no one threw them dirty looks.

Kurt couldn't believe it.

He wondered what his life would have been like had he found Blaine earlier. Would he have gone to prom? Would he have gone to graduation? Would his life been as miserable as it was?

The night passed quickly after that, both boys talking to both the locals and the tourists who came up to them. They didn't get to spend as much time together as they had hoped, because the older women of the town came up to them repeatedly to ask them to dance because their husbands were too busy making business deals.

It was nearing eleven when Blaine pulled Kurt out of the side door, "Can I get a few minutes alone with my boyfriend?" he said shyly.

Kurt allowed himself to be pulled down the dock to where the water was sparkling in the moonlight, constantly rippling against the edge of the wood. In the background, Kurt could hear the laughter of people leaving and the carriages that took them back home. "This was amazing, Blaine. Thank you so much."

Blaine pulled his shoes off, rolling his pants quickly. He didn't say anything.

Kurt followed suit, putting his shoes and socks against the building. His pants were slightly harder to roll than Blaine's. He added his hat to the pile before plopping next to Blaine and dipping his feet into the warm water. Blaine's fingers immediately threaded with Kurt's, but he still didn't say anything.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked softly, his thumb playing with the back of Blaine's hand. He was starting to really get worried about Blaine. He remembered the quickened pulse from inside the room. Did this have something to do with it?

Blaine swallowed and looked out over the water. His eyes were wide, but the moonlight provided enough light that Kurt could see the tears swimming in his eyes.

"Blaine, you can tell me. If you…if you didn't have fun or something, I understand…" Kurt tried to hold back the quiver in his voice.

"No, no, no," Blaine said, his voice slightly hoarse. "I had an amazing time, Kurt. It was…it was everything it needed to be."

Kurt stared at Blaine as best he could, he wished they could have this conversation somewhere he could truly see Blaine, see his facial reactions and know when he was trying to cover something. "So can you tell me what's wrong?"

Blaine shook his head, "I don't want to ruin the night for you. I can tell you about it some other time."

"You aren't going to ruin the night for me, Blaine. Something is bothering you and I want to know," Kurt moved closer, his feet no longer dangling in the water.

Blaine was about to respond when the lights in the building behind them shut off. The party was officially over and everyone was going home. Kurt knew the cleaning crews wouldn't be in until the next morning. "Please," Kurt added as an afterthought.

Blaine sighed, "You weren't….you weren't the only person to be terrified in there."

Kurt nodded, "I thought that…"

Blaine turned, his eyebrow raised, "Why?"

"I felt your pulse. You're very good about covering your real feelings." Kurt hadn't meant it as an insult, and it appeared that Blaine didn't see it as one.

"When I was in high school…one of the reasons I went to a private school was because something happened at a dance…" Blaine trailed off, "Remember when I told you about going to prom?"

Kurt nodded and tried not to show his disappointment, he still remembered what happened after that prom, and he wasn't afraid to say that he was jealous.

"That wasn't..the only dance with a bad memory," Blaine looked down and squeezed his eyes shut, "there was one before that. One that didn't end quite as well."

Kurt felt like he needed to be as close to Blaine as possible, "Can I put my arm around you?" His voice was soft, but he still wanted to let Blaine know he would be there for him. He felt like it was his time.

Blaine nodded, sniffing. He didn't speak for a few moments, just let his head rest on Kurt's shoulder.

"Take your time, baby," Kurt whispered. He generally hated pet names, but felt like Blaine needed it at the moment.

"When I was in eighth grade..there was a Sadie Hawkins dance, remember I brought it up once?" Blaine shook his head, "I think I got pretty angry."

Kurt remembered, it was on their first date, "I do. What happened?"

Blaine sighed, "I went with my one friend. We weren't really..we didn't really date or anything. We were just the only two out kids. There were no feelings, but who else were we supposed to go with?"

Kurt shrugged, he knew the problem. He always wished for at least one other out kid in his school, he thought that would at least make it better.

"We had a good time," Blaine started with a smile. "No one really talked to us, but no one made a big deal out of everything either."

Kurt thought he had an idea of where the story was going. Somewhere in his head, he had heard the story before.

"It was when we left the dance that things got slightly…out of hand," Blaine took a deep breath and looked to Kurt, "I don't..I don't want to upset you."

Kurt shook his head, "You obviously need to talk about it."

Blaine nodded, "When we left, my mom was waiting for us in the parking lot. We were happy, you know? We finally felt like these normal kids. Then we saw them coming toward us. A bunch of the guys….they had baseball bats. I knew they weren't trying to play a game."

Kurt tightened his grip on Blaine's hand.

"I moved away from where my mother's car was. I didn't want her to see it. If I had been smart, maybe I would have tried to run further away or I would have tried to run to her car. But instead I just moved toward them."

Kurt knew better than to say anything while Blaine was in his storytelling mode.

"It hurt so badly, Kurt," Blaine's voice broke, "someone in a book I read after it said that when someone gets attacked, adrenaline takes over and they don't really feel most of it. It lied. I felt every single hit. I felt every single kick. It hurt worse when they would hit in the same place."

Kurt took a shaky breath, he was literally hearing his own worst nightmare. He couldn't help himself, "I remember that," he began, "slightly. My dad was terrified that it would happen to me."

Blaine shook his head, "I think it opened everyone's eyes. I hate…I don't know what would have happened if…if….if someone hadn't stepped in and stopped them. The sound of those baseball bats hitting the concrete is one of the best sounds I've ever heard."

"What happened?"

Blaine's head was still hanging. "I had some broken ribs, a concussion, a broken nose, and a lot of bruising. I was the luckiest one because my date could shield me because I was so tiny…and the person who jumped in was hurt worse than we were."

Kurt couldn't believe his ears, Blaine didn't look like someone who had been attacked. "Didn't you sue them?"

Blaine shrugged, "We're doing it now. It took…it took a lot of time because of healing and mistrials of course. This is the third time we are going in because we have…we have something else on our side."

Kurt wanted to ask what it was, but figured Blaine would have revealed it if he wanted Kurt to know.

"So tonight was kind of…this was the first dance I had that ended well," Blaine said with a smile, "so thank you, Kurt."

Kurt didn't know what to say, so he leaned in and kissed Blaine gently on the lips. "I'm glad I could be here for you."


	18. Meg's Interlude

**Hello! This is a bit of a teaser. Life has thrown curve ball after curve ball to me during the last few months and this week was no exception. I plan to have another full chapter up by Tuesday, so for now you are all getting a bit of an outtake. Some readers wanted to know more about Meg, so here her story is. What happens here does effect the rest of the story. :)**

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><p><strong>Outtake<strong>

The next weekend, Kurt sat on the warp around porch one night with Meg. He felt like he was not spending enough time with his aunt, though she had assured him that it was fine. He still felt like he owed her something.

"You look like you're getting pretty good at that," Meg observed over the top of her book. The inn was completely full and she did not get as much time to read.

Kurt looked down at the blue velvet in his lap. He had been hand-sewing beads onto the fabric for the last few hours. It was exhausting work for something that seemed so simple. His eyes were swimming, therefore he frequently had to rest them, and his fingers were covered in pinpricks because he refused to use a thimble.

"I'm trying," he admitted, "this really isn't m style, but I figure I need to do as much as possible to perfect everything I can."

Meg nodded, "Especially if you do go to any of those fancy schools in New York. Those kids will be practicing all summer."

It unnerved Kurt that it was nearing the end of June and he still had not heard anything – positive or negative – about his placement in the fall.

Waiting lists were officially the worst form of torture.

"This is nice," Meg continued, seemingly realizing that Kurt was lost in his own thoughts, "I do miss you."

Kurt smiled, "I'm sorry. It's just..Emma has me doing all of these extra hours and then I have Blaine…" he hated the wistful tone his voice took when he said Blaine's name.

He was in deep.

Meg closed her book and put it on the table, "It's okay to care about him, Kurt. Not everyone is going to hurt you. I know Paul wasn't the best..start, but maybe you needed it to see what a real, good man is."

Kurt nodded, "I just…I'm scared. We aren't…it isn't anything like it was with Paul. We…" he blushed and looked down at his hands.

"Continue," Meg said softly, "everything you say will stay between us. I won't tell your father anything, I promise."

"We just kiss," Kurt blurted, "we don't do anything else."

Meg laughed over the edge of her wine glass, "You haven't been dating that long, Kurt."

"I'm so bad at this," Kurt laughed, "I have no idea what it's supposed to be."

"Well that's the fun of it," Meg pointed out, "you can make your own rules here, Kurt. You don't have to listen to what anyone says. If you ask someone, they will tell you that a summer romance won't work. They will tell you that it's doomed. Don't listen to them, Kurt. Make your own rules. Make them as you go, make them after you've passed the moment." Meg's eyes were wide as she continued. "Don't let anyone other than you define yourself."

Kurt leaned back, "I'm just…what if Blaine isn't attracted to me? What if he's with me only because he felt badly about what happened with Paul? That he couldn't warn me before it happened?"

Meg actually laughed. "Kurt, honey, you have to start realizing that what people made you think about yourself…it isn't true. Blaine is one lucky kid to have you. You're absolutely one of the most handsome men I've ever seen, though I may not be the best judge. You're talented beyond belief and you're going to make a name for yourself. You have everything going for you now that you're gone. Blaine sees all that, I'm sure."

Kurt sighed, "I just…it's…I feel so much with Blaine that I never felt with Paul…but sometimes I wonder what goes on in his head. I know what he tells me, but I'm not quite sure. God, I'm going to ruin this aren't I?"

Meg shook her head, "You're going to be fine, Kurt. Please…don't overanalyze everything. I know it runs in our family to be good at that."

Kurt didn't know what to do. He cared about Blaine, deeply. He wasn't sure if it was love yet, but he knew it was heading in that direction. Still, he was confused. "I'll try," he conceded eventually.

Meg leaned back in her chair, "You know, one summer I fell in love."

Kurt looked up from his work. Meg never really talked about her relationships; his father was even surprisingly quiet on the subject.

Kurt just assumed she had wanted to live her life independently.

Meg smiled sadly, looking out over the ocean. "Her name was Carlie. We met in the Outer Banks one summer."

Kurt remembered that his father had mentioned spending a few summers there before.

"We were both sixteen and juniors in high school," Meg's eyes danced over the ocean again, but he knew she wasn't really thinking about it. "We spent every waking moment of the summer together. I fell….I fell really hard for her."

Kurt could not imagine his aunt in a relationship, "What happened?" his curiosity got the best of him, however, and he had to know.

Meg shrugged, "I second guessed everything. I didn't know how we would pull anything off. She lived in Iowa of all places and I lived in Lima, Ohio. We had two years of school left. It wasn't going to work out, at least in my mind it wouldn't have."

"It probably wouldn't have," Kurt agreed, not really seeing the point of the story.

"Neither she nor I every found someone else to spend our lives with," Meg said quietly. "I sometimes stalk her Facebook," she admitted with a laugh. "Don't second guess it, Kurt. You need to take every opportunity. I have no idea if you and Blaine are the ones for each other. I'm sure you have even less of an idea. But don't you dare sell it short. You will be questioning yourself forever."

It was Kurt's turn to stare out into the ocean, "Is it normal to question everything this much?"

"No," Meg answered, "but I think you both probably are. Blaine…he's overly cautious. He has reason to be, believe me. I don't know what he's told you…but he has a good reason to be."

Kurt brought his legs up to the chair, abandoning his work. "Why do you know so much about him?"

Meg blinked her eyes a few times before turning her attention to something suddenly fascinating on the porch.

"Meg?"

She sighed, "When he was moving into the house…I told him there wasn't room. He told me his story, and I kind of took pity on him. He's the reason you live with me instead of with Noah and the other boys."

Kurt wondered what would have been if Meg hadn't said yes to him about moving into the house.

Would Blaine even be in Cape May?

Would they have ever met?

Would they have found each other at a different time?

Would he have met Paul without Blaine bringing him out of his shell?

Would he ever have come out of his shell?

"Stop overanalyzing," Meg cautioned, "It was meant to be, so it happened."


	19. Stone Harbor's Skies Were Blue

**Thank you all, for those who were worried - everything is fine! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Kurt nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a body jump on his bed and shake him awake. "Meg, I'm going to kill you," he grumbled from under his pillow.

"I'm not Meg," Blaine said quietly as he tried to remove the layers of blankets and pillows. "I'm Blaine," he added when Kurt stilled. "Your boyfriend," he continued when Kurt made no movements.

Kurt was panicking. He was shirtless, his hair was sticking up all over, and he had neglected to do any moisturizing the night before.

"Kind of short, curly black hair, tan skin, slightly above average looking?" Blaine continued, pulling his arms away. "Kurt?"

"I know who you are," Kurt mumbled, already feeling a grumpy mood settling in, "but why are you here?"

Kurt could feel Blaine's body weight shift, "I took the day off to spend it with you because we haven't seen each other…but I mean, I can probably try to go to work if you don't want to do anything. O-or I can catch up on reading. I haven't really read all summer. I'm sorry…I didn't want to disturb you or anything…I'll just…I'll go." Blaine's voice was low and steady, showing no emotion.

It broke Kurt's heart because he knew this was a voice Blaine had practiced for years.

"Stop," Kurt sat up and tried his best not to glare at Blaine. "I just…I didn't want you to see me like this."

Blaine reached out and touched Kurt's face, rubbing gently at a spot near Kurt's mouth, "Like what?"

Kurt cringed inwardly, "Like when I have drool on my face. Or my hair is a mess."

Blaine laughed and brought his hand up to ruffle Kurt's hair, "You look fine. You are gorgeous and you do not need to worry about me thinking any differently. I know how lucky I am," Blaine moved forward on his knees and pressed a kiss onto Kurt's lips.

"Gah, morning breath," Kurt whined, already leaning in for another kiss. He figured it wasn't really his problem, but Blaine's to deal with.

Blaine smiled against Kurt's mouth but moved closer, "Good morning," he whispered between kisses.

Kurt pulled back but kept a hand on Blaine's face, "How was Ohio?" Blaine had been gone for five days on a trip back to Ohio for something to do with his mother. He hadn't given Kurt too many details.

Blaine leaned against the headboard, keeping his arms around Kurt's neck, "It was nice to see my brother and mom again. We did simply things really…played cards, took walks by the stream near our house. I helped my brother do some yard work. It was just nice to see them again, you know?"

"Did you…did you see your dad?" Kurt tried to keep his tone airy, but knew the question's answer could bring up some trouble for Blaine. He hated talking about his father.

Blaine looked down at his lap, "Yeah…I did."

"Oh," Kurt bit his lip, "how bad was it?"

"Bad," Blaine admitted, "but I mean…I guess I deserved what he said," Blaine said this not to Kurt, but more to himself it seemed.

"What?" Kurt still worked to keep his tone light.

Blaine shook his head quickly, "It doesn't matter. That isn't what today is about."

Kurt let it slide. When Blaine was ready, he would say more. "Okay, what is today about?"

"Today is about us and this summer and having fun," Blaine motioned down to his outfit, which Kurt had just noticed.

Blaine wore black board shorts with blue splatters of paint all over them. They were a little tighter than the shorts most boys wore, and Kurt approved.

He knew he would approve even more when Blaine stood up.

"We're going to the beach?" Kurt asked with a grimace, "You know I hate the beach."

Blaine pouted, "But I love the beach. So we are going to the beach for just a little while," Blaine held up a finger to avoid Kurt interrupting, "and then I have some plans for tonight and tomorrow morning."

Kurt was confused. "You're keeping me until tomorrow morning?"

"I figured we could go into Stone Harbor," Blaine said while standing up, "and spend the night in this nice little hotel there. There is something really cool tonight I think you'll like but I know neither of us will feel like driving back after it. Plus, we'll need somewhere to change."

Kurt's heart leapt.

They were staying in a hotel.

They were staying in a hotel together.

Alone.

"Okay," Kurt's voice was even higher than normal, "that sounds perfect!"

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him up, "Your aunt already packed you a bag and it's in my car. All you need to do is throw on some shorts and a tank top."

"Are we going to become one of those couples that always dresses alike?" Kurt questioned with a small smile.

He hoped.

Blaine winked, "You go get dressed and I will make the bed."

Kurt mock saluted him and turned on his heel to go put on his swim trunks. He saw himself in the mirror and groaned. Blaine hadn't even told him that his hair was in a million different directions.

Kurt hurried through his normal morning routine because he knew Blaine would be waiting. It didn't help that over half of his stuff was gone thanks to Meg's prying hand.

He walked back into his room to see Blaine thumbing through a few of his sketchbooks.

"What are you looking at?" Kurt asked with a frown. He hoped it was one of the better books.

"Your sketches," Blaine said, eyes not leaving the page, "Kurt, you are amazing. Like...better than anyone I have ever seen. These are fantastic," Blaine's eyes widened, when he turned the page, "God, you're so talented."

Kurt blushed under the praise, "Stop…those aren't even my newest ones!"

Blaine's head snapped up, "These are from when you were younger? Kurt, why the hell aren't you hounding these colleges? This is phenomenal!"

Kurt shrugged, "If they wanted me, they'd call me."

Blaine shook his head, "You have to send more to the schools. You have to take charge of your future! Tomorrow when we come back, _we_ are going to pour through these books and find things to send in. You have to go to New York with me!"

"With you?" Kurt stopped and stared at Blaine.

This was news.

"Oh," Blaine blushed, "I sent in my letter and deposit to Columbia. I'm going."

Kurt nearly jumped for joy, "Oh my god, that's great! You…you're actually going?" He tried not to let the fact that Blaine hadn't told him before sending anything in annoy him.

Blaine ducked his head, "I am. My mom told me to go ahead and take away my deferral. I'm officially a New York man."

Kurt bit his lip, "That's fantastic."

"But see here's the thing," Blaine grabbed Kurt into his arms, "It is a little late for me to get anything resembling good housing. So my mom is letting me use my dad's old apartment."

"And?" Kurt asked, figuring he knew where this was going.

Blaine suddenly became very shy, "There's room for two…"

Kurt took a deep breath, "And you'd like me to live with you?"

Blaine nodded, his eyes filled with worry, "Only if you want to! I know we are super early into this relationship and I can probably go it alone I just…yeah…."

Kurt nodded, "If I get into a school, I will."

"And if you don't?" Blaine's voice was soft.

"If I don't…I doubt you'll want me around," Kurt said equally as soft. "I'll be a nobody going home to work in Hummel Lube and Tires while you are making something of yourself in the most amazing city in the world."

"Or," Blaine shrugged, "You could come to New York and work in a boutique or a theater or a coffee shop for all I care. You don't have to go to school. I know everyone thinks you do, but I don't think it is strictly necessary."

"You-You'd still want me even if I don't go to school?"

Blaine stepped even closer, "I thought I made it clear, Kurt, that I'm interested in you. I-I l-like you. I don't care if you work as a huge fashion designer or you design headbands to sell in Central Park every weekend. As long as you care about me and are happy with me…I will want you."

Kurt's heart leapt for the second time that morning, "You're serious?"

Blaine nodded, "As serious as I am when I say that if we don't leave soon, we are going to hit Atlantic City traffic and that will be terrible."

Kurt laughed, "You'll help me? You'll help me send new sketches into the schools?"

Blaine nodded, "I will do anything to help you reach your dreams, Kurt."

Kurt grabbed his bag in one hand and Blaine's hand in the other, "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"I think you're doing that wrong," Kurt laughed as he watched Blaine try to hammer the pins holding the towel into the sand.<p>

"I am not," Blaine laughed, nearly falling backward as he hit it into the sand, "I read the instructions earlier."

Kurt jumped as the hammer missed the pin and nearly collided with Blaine's foot. Instead, it sent a puff of sand into the air. "Do you want help?"

"No," Blaine huffed, "I can do it!"

Kurt grabbed the hammer, "Come on, why don't you set up the umbrella while I attempt to do this?"

Within fifteen minutes, they had their area set up. Blaine had brought the large towel, the umbrella, food, and a radio for them to spend the entire morning on the beach.

Kurt figured as long as he didn't have to go into the water, he'd be okay.

"Can you put sunscreen on my back?" Blaine asked as he tossed Kurt the bottle, "My mom is worried about me getting sunburn."

Kurt smiled, "I'm glad your mother and I are on the same page."

Blaine winked and pulled his tank top over his head as Kurt did the same.

"I can put it on your chest too," Kurt blurted, his eyes not leaving Blaine's chest.

Blaine looked down at his chest, "I think I can…"

Kurt didn't wait to hear the rest of the sentence, instead he pushed his hand up Blaine's abs to his chest. "I have to make sure I get everything. You don't want a streaky tan," Kurt said as he moved closer.

"N-no," Blaine said, his eyes on Kurt's hand.

Kurt massaged the lotion onto Blaine's stomach, dipping his fingers into the dips and curves of his body.

Blaine's muscles trembled and he took a deep breath as Kurt's finger worked its way up to his chin. Kurt lifted Blaine's chin and leaned down to press a kiss into Blaine's lips. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck as Kurt pulled Blaine closer until their chests were flush against each other.

They stayed like that for a few minute, Kurt nibbling on Blaine's lip as they both forgot they were standing in the middle of the beach.

"My back," Blaine whispered when they pulled apart. "If my chest got me that…"

Kurt gently pinched Blaine's lower back as he spun him around. He reveled in the sight of his boyfriend's strong shoulders and small waist. Then he saw it.

A large, four-inch scar fell right under Blaine's left shoulder blade. Kurt traced it with his thumb, he was about to bring it up when he saw another, paler, one that wrapped toward Blaine's side.

How hadn't he seen them before?

"What are these from?" Kurt asked as he traced them.

Blaine tensed under his touch, "Um..they are from the dance…"

Kurt sucked in a breath when he saw the other scars that marred Blaine's back. "How didn't I see these before?" he said mostly to himself.

"You only really see them when I tan," Blaine explained.

Kurt leaned down and kissed the biggest on under his shoulder blade, "What are they from? You didn't…you didn't really say anything about a knife."

Blaine turned, "Hey…don't get upset. They were from rocks mostly, one was from where my rib kind of…popped out."

Kurt didn't understand how Blaine could be so nonchalant about the whole thing. "How'd you deal with it?"

Blaine pulled away and laid on the towel, "You and I can't just have a nice, light day, can we?"

Kurt laid next to Blaine, closer than he normally would, "Just this last one then I swear we can be happiness and sunshine."

Blaine looked over at him, one eye squinting at him, "I had other things to worry about. I tried not to dwell on it really."

Kurt leaned over and kissed Blaine again. "This is actually nice," Kurt mused.

"Hmm," Blaine agreed with a smile.

They spent the early morning basking in the run, talking intermitedly about random things, whatever really passed their minds.

Eventually, Kurt had enough of the skin drying sand and salt and requested they go back to their hotel.

The hotel they pulled into when they finally packed everything up was tiny, but it seemed to be populated mostly by families and older couples – the type of people who came to the same place every year and never changed a thing.

"My family used to come here before the divorce," Blaine affirmed, "every summer. Before we got the house of course."

Kurt nodded, trying to imagine a tiny Blaine playing in the pool with his brother. He laughed at the thought.

Blaine caught his eyes and smiled, "What are you laughing at?"

"You," Kurt admitted, "I pictured you sliding down that sliding board as a little kid."

"I was pathetic," Blaine opened the door of the room, "I seriously weighed like twenty pounds until I was twelve. I had asthma, I had buck teeth. I was really attractive."

Kurt bit back a laugh, "Well, puberty was good to you."

Blaine shrugged, "Not as good as it was to you. Before I came upstairs yesterday Meg showed me some of your baby pictures. Nice cheeks."

Kurt stuck his tongue out, "Now you just think the other ones are nice."

Blaine immediately blushed, "W-well I um..well I mean…yeah," he laughed nervously, "yeah they are."

Kurt wanted to shriek but he kept a cool look on his face, "I knew it."

Blaine pulled Kurt toward him by the waist and kissed him solidly, dragging his lips across Kurt's, "If you don't go take a shower we aren't going to get into the shopping district," Blaine said, his voice husky and his eyes wide.

Kurt took a step toward the bed, "What if I don't want to go shopping?"

"You do," Blaine whispered as he peppered Kurt's neck with kisses, "don't lie," he warned with a little nip at Kurt's ear.

"The problem is I'm not," Kurt gasped out as he threw his head back. He wasn't; he wanted Blaine more than he ever had. The shopping district would always be there, this moment, however, they would never be able to get back.

Blaine pulled back, "Go take a shower to get the salt and sand off of you. I'm going to go grab some drinks for later on, okay?"

It took Kurt nearly an hour to feel clean, but when he emerged from the shower, he felt like a completely different person. He would never admit it, but he secretly always felt better after spending the day on the beach. His skin felt better and softer than it usually did.

Kurt put on the casual suit Meg had packed for him, and wondered not for the first time exactly what Blaine had up his sleeve.

When Kurt opened the door for the bathroom, he saw Blaine standing there in a suit almost the same as his own, but in a cool gray color. "What's going on?" he asked as he accepted a rose from Blaine.

"Once a month in Stone Harbor, they pretend it is the 1950s again," Blaine said as he offered his arm to Kurt. "Everyone who walks around the strip has to be in a suit and tie or a dress," he explained. "The ice cream is really cheap and there is big band music playing."

"So it's like Cape May every day?" Kurt teased.

"Sort of," Blaine acknowledge.

"Just admit it, this was just a ruse to get me into a hotel room."

Blaine winked, "I don't know how you figured it out."

Kurt preened and pulled Blaine closer as they walked, "So are we getting ice cream?"

"Yeah, and I thought we could just see where the night takes us." Blaine led the way to the strip, where Kurt saw the sidewalks filled with people all dressed in their Sunday best.

It was actually pretty cool.

For a second, Kurt couldn't help but picture them together in New York walking just like this. He wanted to spend every day dodging and annoying people because they couldn't separate their hands. He wanted people to be jealous of them and how much they loved each other.

Love.

It was the word that had been lurking on his lips for the past few days. It was too early to feel that way, though he was sure Blaine felt it too.

He wasn't sure he felt love yet before Blaine left. Nevertheless, being apart from him had truly shown him how deep his feelings for Blaine ran.

He had missed Blaine for those few days, missed him more than he had ever imagined he could.

Sure, he missed his father, but he felt like he could move on without him there.

Without Blaine, he felt like there was no reason to smile or laugh.

"I really missed you when you went back home," Kurt said softly, squeezing Blaine's bicep.

"I missed you too," Blaine said with a brush of his lips against Kurt's hair.

"Do you have to go back again soon?"

"In a few weeks," Blaine admitted.

Kurt pouted but said nothing. Another few days without Blaine seemed like the worst form of torture he could ever imagine.

"Y-you could come with me?" Blaine suggested. "I know you'd like to see your dad again and I'd really like to introduce you to my mom and Cooper…"

Kurt thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to walk around Lima and show off Blaine to everyone who had hurt him in high school.

"I'll go with you," Kurt affirmed, "I'll go back to Ohio with you."

It was in that moment that Kurt realized he would do anything for Blaine. However, the question still lingered in Kurt's mind – did Blaine feel the same way?

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><p><strong>These poor boys, I actually feel bad for how low their self esteem is.<strong>


	20. Fireworks

**Warning: This chapter is rated M.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled, "Come on, if we don't hurry up, we'll never get a good spot and this is my favorite part of summer!"

Kurt nearly dropped the blanket he had draped over his arm, "Blaine, the fireworks are over the beach, we'll be able to see them wherever we sit."

Blaine pulled Kurt close and kissed him hard, "I know, but I was hoping for some privacy."

Kurt felt his heart stutter, "I-I think I can move a little faster."

Blaine nodded, his eyes becoming darker as he kissed the corner of Kurt's mouth again.

Kurt didn't want to get his hopes up, especially after what had happened the week before in Stone Harbor.

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><p><em>Kurt pressed Blaine against the bed, "Can we, please?"<em>

_Blaine bit a mark into Kurt's shoulder, "Hmm…here? In this hotel room?"_

_Kurt nodded, leaning into Blaine, "Please…please."_

_Blaine pulled back, his eyes wide, "I don't think….not here."_

_Kurt rolled off of Blaine and stood at the side of the bed, "And why not?"_

"_Because you deserve better than a hotel room. When we're older and have kids do you really want to tell them that your magical first time was in a hotel room that smelled of take out Chinese food?"_

_Kurt tried not to get too excited once again that Blaine planned a future with him – a future with children and a life._

_It was better than sex could ever be._

"_I suppose you're right," Kurt conceded. "But…soon, okay?"_

_Blaine laughed and pulled Kurt back onto the bed, "I think about it about eight times a day for three hours at a time." His face stayed completely olive toned, there was no hint of embarrassment._

_Kurt did the math quickly and laughed, "You're ridiculous."_

_Blaine blinked a few times, "But you love me?"_

_Kurt stared at Blaine, "Well…I…"_

"_Because I love you," Blaine said softly, this time his skin did turn a few shades pinker._

"_I love you too," Kurt said, his voice going even higher._

_Blaine pulled him down for a kiss, there were no more words they could say._

* * *

><p>Kurt gripped Blaine's hand tighter, "So where is a super secret spot to see the fireworks?"<p>

"You'll see," Blaine grinned even wider, "but we need to hurry up…please!"

"Okay, okay," Kurt laughed as Blaine pulled a little harder. "You do realize we have like an hour though?"

"We have a bit of travelling to do," Blaine admitted, "and I've never really done it before so we might need some time."

Kurt stumbled a little running, but managed to run through the drifting sand and dodged all of the families out to see the Fourth of July fireworks on the beach.

"Blaine, don't they set them off over there?" Kurt asked as they ran toward the pier jutting out into the ocean.

"They do," Blaine agreed, stopping abruptly and looking around under the pier.

"Are we supposed to be under here?"

"No," Blaine seemed to find what he was looking for and ran toward the end of the pier, almost walking into the water.

"You're lucky I love you man," Puck said as we walked out from behind one of the pillars.

"Did you get one?" Blaine asked, excitement apparent in his voice.

"Hello Noah," Kurt said primly, reaching out his hand.

"Hey," Puck reached out and hugged Kurt close, "I hear you're becoming a man tonight."

Blaine hit Puck in the stomach, "Shut up!"

Kurt kicked at a stone on the ground but said nothing.

Puck laughed, "Well it was all you could talk about all afternoon. You basically planned the entire thing to the type of gas used…."

"Can someone fill me in?" Kurt asked, dying to get the tide of the conversation to change.

"We're taking this out to a huge sand bar Puck and Sam found a few years ago," Blaine smiled widely, "there is an abandoned hut there, but we don't think anyone really knows about it."

Kurt's eyes went wide, "Blaine….I don't think…won't the tide come in and kill us? What about sand…I don't think sand will make anything comfortable.."

"I have a blanket and I made them lay out straw mats earlier today. The tides won't change until 5AM, and I highly doubt you'll want to sleep there. I've literally thought of everything," Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt's lips lightly, "baby, please trust me."

Kurt nodded dumbly – of course he trusted Blaine.

"Besides, you could always make a pearl in your ass," Puck said with a laugh and a sip of the beer he had magically pulled from nowhere. "I'm sure it's tight enough."

"Can we not talk about the tightness of my boyfriend's ass?" Blaine asked, shuffling around.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but can we please get on that death machine and go out to this sandbar?" Kurt pointed to the Jet Ski that he knew Blaine was trying to hide until the last minute.

"With pleasure," Blaine said, "may I drive or would you prefer to?"

"I believe I will hold on to you and scream the entire way," Kurt said with only a slight tremor in his voice.

If he was being honest, the idea of holding onto Blaine and driving into the darkness was slightly appealing.

He would never tell Blaine that.

Blaine hugged Puck quickly, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me, man."

Kurt looked out over the ocean and realized they actually weren't going too far. He could see two torches only a few football fields out in the water.

"What happens if we go under?" Kurt asked nervously as he straddled the seat and held onto Blaine's waist.

"Don't let go of me," Blaine said seriously. "But don't worry, I've done this before. We used to own some when I was younger. Just hold on because we have to get out of the really shallow water quickly."

The jet ski roared to life in the shallow water and Kurt felt a rush of adrenaline go through his body.

This was officially one of the most badass thing he'd ever done. To top it all off, he was doing it with his prep school boyfriend that looked like he would never hurt a fly.

Blaine didn't slow down, even though Kurt assumed he would once they got out of the shallower water. The torches looked as if they weren't getting any closer, so Kurt moved closer and tugged Blaine into him. The splashes of the ocean didn't bother him – Blaine had warned him not to wear something he loved too much.

They approached the island too quickly for Kurt's taste, but he knew what was waiting for him on the sandbar island was better than any Jet ski ride would be.

Blaine got off the Jet Ski and helped Kurt off before pushing it further onto the sand. Kurt looked around the tiny island, it was really only big enough for a few people.

"So they found this a few years ago?" Kurt asked, suddenly nervous. "Wouldn't it have moved by now?"

"You would think," Blaine answered as he spread the blanket over straw mats, "but for some reason it hasn't. There are tons of local legends but no one really knows why."

"If people know about this, how can we be so sure that there won't be other people with the same idea?" Kurt tried to quell his nerves, but he knew it was fruitless.

"Because technically speaking this is illegal," Blaine answered again before blowing out the torches and lighting a small lantern.

"Well, this will definitely get me into college," Kurt blabbered, somehow his nerves for the night combined with his nerves for the sketches he just sent into his colleges.

Blaine sat on the blanket, "Please stop worrying and come here?"

"But how..what if…"

Blaine held his arms open and didn't say a word until Kurt fell into them. "I have Puck on the beach with a bottle rocket. He will set it off if we need to leave the island."

"Promise?" Kurt asked with a pout as the first firework lit up the sky.

"I promise," Blaine replied, leaning over to kiss Kurt's temple.

Kurt cuddled into Blaine's lap, "This is beautiful," he whispered as the sky lit up with blues, golds, reds, and whites.

"You are," Blaine agreed with a wink.

Kurt didn't care how cheesy it was, it made his heart sing.

"I love you," Kurt said quietly, he almost thought Blaine wouldn't hear it over the fireworks.

"I love you too," Blaine brushed Kurt's hair back, "so much."

Kurt nuzzled in further, not caring about the heat, "So how did you get Meg to let us out late?" his aunt was becoming harder on his curfew lately since a call from his father.

"She trusts me."

Kurt nodded slowly. The glow on Blaine's face juggled something in his stomach and he knew he had to have him. "How could she think that was a good idea?" He leaned in closer to Blaine, kissing his neck.

"She trusts us," Blaine said more firmly this time, his eyes getting darker as they tore away from the fireworks.

"I don't think I would trust us," Kurt said as he pressed a rough kiss onto Blaine's lips. "In fact," Kurt threw a leg over Blaine, "doesn't she see you?"

Blaine grabbed Kurt's back and pushed them together, "You are absolutely amazing, Kurt," he breathed as Kurt kissed his way down Blaine's neck, "You are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I wish I could scream to those people on the beach and tell them you are mine and only mine…"

"Less talking," Kurt huffed, "more kissing."

Blaine tried to regain control, but Kurt flipped them around and pushed Blaine into the mat, "I love you," Blaine whispered between kisses.

"I want you," Kurt said, letting go completely.

Blaine pulled back, tears in his eyes, "Do you mean that?"

Kurt pushed himself up on his hands, "Of course. You are the sexiest," he dipped a kiss to Blaine's shoulder, "smartest," a kiss over his neck, "most loveable," a kiss over his heart, "man I've ever met."

Blaine's hands were shaking as he cupped Kurt's chin gently, "Okay…but not like this," he motioned to their bodies, "You deserve romance, not rough and quick. I-I had a plan."

"You deserve romance," Kurt said softly, dipping down to kiss at Blaine's neck again, immediately finding the place that made Blaine come apart, "You deserve everything."

They'd been working up to it for weeks, each of them going slightly further each time, but this time it felt new, different.

Kurt pulled off Blaine's shirt, threw it toward the hut, and then kissed his way down Blaine's chest, stopping every so often to leave his mark, causing Blaine to arch.

"Less clothes," Blaine eventually gasped, "please Kurt."

Kurt hummed and pulled his own t-shirt over his head. They were slightly sweaty in the humid nighttime.

Blaine pulled Kurt up and kissed him hard, running his hands up and down the planes of Kurt's stomach. "You are gorgeous," he murmured against Kurt's shoulder, "absolutely perfect."

Kurt continued his assault and was palming over Blaine when he heard Blaine whimper above him. "Are you okay?" he whispered, still ghosting his fingers over Blaine through his pants.

Blaine licked his lips nervously, his face was bright red, and his voice low and hoarse when he finally gasped out, "I want you Kurt…."

"Blaine," Kurt groaned.

"-and I want you so bad, Kurt, god, I don't know. I mean, I know I wanted to do this in like a a room with candles and wine and the whole thing but then I got this idea in my head…" Blaine babbled, rubbing his hands through Kurt's hair.

"_Blaine_," Kurt groaned, and Blaine finally stopped talking, staring up at Kurt, his hazel eyes full of question. "We can do whatever you want, Blaine. I want you." He watched Blaine's eyes darken even more when the words sunk in.

Kurt crawled back up the blanket pressing a gently, less urgent kiss into Blaine's lips, simultaneously pressing their hips together.

Blaine broke away, panting. "I…have a condom," he blushed at the term, "I also have lube…I don't want you to think I was being presumptuous."

Kurt raised an eyebrow but held out his hand expectantly.

"Blaine…I've wanted this for weeks. I know what you wanted to do tonight and I've been nearly mauling you all night just thinking about it," Kurt smirked but jumped off the bed and grabbed the bottle out of the front pocket.

Blaine pulled Kurt back on top of him again, kissing him thoroughly. "Hey," Blaine said, brushing his hand over Kurt's cheek.

"Hi," Kurt answered, his hands nervously playing with Blaine's hair. "So should we just-" he whispered, not quite sure what to do next. He laughed, "You should know what to do better than me…"

"Well, I don't really know either," Blaine laughed, sitting up and maneuvering Kurt with him, "but I'd be fine with just kissing if we can't get the rest right. We'll get there eventually."

"That I can do," Kurt says, leaned in and kissed Blaine again, trying to keep is slow and romantic.

Then Blaine ran his hands down Kurt's back, dragging his nails down his spine slowly, sending little spastic waves up and down Kurt's body. He pulled them up again and continued his mission back down again.

"Naked," Kurt blurted out, sliding his hands down Blaine's body, trying to push his pants off without unbuttoning them.

"Yes….but slow down," Blaine whimpered as he felt his pants go down, blushing a little. Kurt didn't respond because his eyes were fully trained on Blaine. He'd never seen him like this before. They'd seen each other off before, in Stone Harbor, but it had always been in the dark and Kurt was on the receiving end of Blaine's hand.. Kurt reached his hand down and stroked Blaine, twisting his hand just a little.

"Kurt," Blaine gasped, his hips jerking up into Kurt's grip. "Kurt, oh my god," he says. "You've got to stop that, oh my god."

"Sorry!" Kurt said, letting go of Blaine's cock but still staring shamelessly, rubbing circles on Blaine's hipbones.

Blaine whimpered when Kurt couldn't help but move his hand back down.

"Blaine," Kurt said in a low voice, his hand sliding back up to brush over Blaine's cock as he leaned to kiss Blaine again, calming both of their nerves. "We need to do something else…please."

"Okay, you need less clothes..no clothes would be preferable," Blaine groaned, his hands going down to Kurt's pants simultaneously flipping Kurt and kissing down his chest.

"Blaine," Kurt groaned again, pushing his head down lightly.

"You should just always say my name like that," Blaine whispered against his skin, kissing his way down Kurt's stomach. Kurt moaned his name again and Blaine's kissed lower and lower, down Kurt's stomach and across his hips. "In fact, if you could just…"

"Blaine," he gasped, "Blaine, okay, you should probably stop if you want to go even further…"

"Relax," Blaine said with a soft smile, mouthing at the side of Kurt's cock, staring lovingly up at Kurt. Without warning he sank his mouth over Kurt's cock, sucking lightly around the head, and Kurt dug his fingers into the bed, cursing.

It was the best thing Kurt had ever felt.

Blaine's tongue is swirled just under the head of Kurt's cock and Kurt had to push him back, "I'm so close you need to stop," he gasped.

"Sorry…I've just been thinking about that all day," Blaine admitted with a grin, letting his weight rest on Kurt, pushing them both deeper into the sand. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Kurt launched himself up into Blaine's kiss, flipping them over again, pressing Blaine into the sand further. They stayed like this for a while kissing deeply and just feeling each others' bodies.

"Do you still want to?" Kurt breathed, his hands on Blaine's hips.

"Yes," Blaine passed the lube to Kurt, "Please."

The little whimper during the word pushed Kurt over the edge, "I…just…"

Blaine smiled reassuringly at Kurt and spread his legs apart, "One, at first. Go slow." He knew Kurt was nervous.

"Okay," Kurt whispered, nodding to himself and ignoring the coiling of heat in his stomach at seeing Blaine all spread open like this.

At seeing Kurt hesitate, Blaine shakes his head, "Kurt...we don't have to…we can…oh god..." he broke off, gasping as Kurt strokes over his hole.

"You were saying?" Kurt asked with a wink, feeling a surge of confidence at watching Blaine already come undone.

"Just keep going…" Blaine laughed breathlessly. Kurt started stroking the inside of Blaine's thigh with one hand as his other eased a finger into Blaine, watching his face closely for any signs of pain. He knew Blaine had done this before, but he had no idea if he'd done it since that night.

"Are you…?"

"Yeah, yeah," Blaine breathed out, his voice husky. "Just sort of- in and out, at first, and then you can add a second one." Blaine reached a hand down and started stroking himself.

Kurt felt his mouth go dry at the sight, his hips jerking unconsciously.

"Right," Kurt said, coating his fingers in more lube then adding another finger. He pressed in a little deeper this time, and there was more resistance but Kurt could feel Blaine opening up for him. Blaine was shaking, and Kurt used his other hand to massage his thigh.

"Keep going," Blaine breathed, sweat starting to form on his forehead.

Kurt smiled as he remembered something from his reading and arches his fingers up. When he found what he was looking for, he stroked his fingers over it a few times, and Kurt watched as Blaine grabbed at the blanket, his legs spreading farther apart and allowing Kurt to move his hand more freely.

"Oh," Kurt blushed, moving his hand up to palm at himself.

"Just like that, Kurt," Blaine groaned, and something about the way Blaine's voice had gone low went straight to Kurt's cock, and made him twist his fingers in a little harder. Blaine groaned loudly and then begged for three fingers.

Blaine kept grabbing at the sheets whenever Kurt would turn his fingers or press in just a little bit harder.

"Baby…are you ready?" Kurt looked down and saw Blaine open his eyes slowly, "Because if you aren't…" suddenly Kurt's stage fright came back.

"Kurt, stop talking and _please_," Blaine groaned, trying to pull Kurt up to kiss him.

Kurt grabbed the condom and kissed Blaine a few times before rolling it over himself. "I love you," he said tenderly, using his clean hand to brush at Blaine's cheek.

"I love you too," Blaine whispered quietly. "Please."

"Right, yeah, okay," Kurt said, taking a deep breath, aligning him and starting to push in. He pushed slowly, really slowly, not wanting to hurt Blaine. Eventually he bottomed out and Blaine gasped, and Kurt groaned because Blaine felt better than he ever even imagined.

Kurt paused, resting his head onto Blaine's shoulder, trying to calm himself.

Blaine looked up at him, flushed red all the way down to his chest, his eyes closed and his mouth open.

Kurt stared down into Blaine's face and his hips twitch forward, just a little. He flinched, looking down at Blaine.

"No," Blaine said, tugging on his hand a little. "It's okay, come on, deeper," and Kurt groaned, pushing forward slightly. He tried to be gentle, but Blaine felt so good that he was shaking with tension.

"Blaine," he whimpered helplessly and then Blaine moved his hips, both of them gasping when it shifts Kurt even deeper inside of Blaine. Kurt moved himself up on his elbows, trying not to crush Blaine, and he leaned forward, kissing Blaine deep and slow.

Kurt was pretty sure he was going to die when Blaine reached down to Kurt's ass, squeezing a little and pushing him closer.

"Move," Blaine groaned into his ear, his hands still on Kurt's ass, and Kurt started to rock his hips, slowly at first, staying deep and letting them both get used to it. Blaine whimpers underneath him.

"Should I move more?" Kurt asked against Blaine's mouth.

"Yeah," he said, breathless and strained, "right there, Kurt."

"Yeah?" Kurt asked, feeling his blood boil hearing Blaine say the word. He moved a little bit faster, pushing in deep and staying there for a second or two before pulling back. Blaine trailed his hands up and down Kurt's ass, his fingers digging in every time Kurt thrusted back in.

All Kurt knew if that Blaine needed to say his name more because it was the hottest thing he'd ever heard.

Blaine's eyes are closed and his head is tipped back, his mouth open and panting, and Kurt couldn't help it, and thrusted his hips in deep. At the same time he wrapped his hand around Blaine's cock.

"Kurt," Blaine panted, spreading his legs even wider. "I'm close…"

Kurt pressed into him harder, and Blaine rolled his hips up against Kurt's, pushing Kurt deeper. Kurt tried so hard to hold back his orgasm but finally let himself go when he felt Blaine shudder beneath him, clenching him and eliciting a deep moan from Blaine.

Kurt's didn't realize he was shaking until Blaine's pulled him down against his chest, petting weakly at Kurt's hair and kissing his face. Blaine smoothed his hand down Kurt's back, up and down, and it sent more shivers up Kurt's spine, his whole body tight and overwhelmed.

"Wow," Kurt whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," Blaine said brokenly. He stared up at Kurt with wide eyes. Kurt never felt so special, so loved, and so full of love as he looked down at Blaine below him.

He had no doubt that he had waited for the perfect time and the perfect person – even if the rest of their lives weren't perfect.


	21. Home Again

**Chapter 21**

As soon as they crossed over the state line into Ohio, Kurt felt it all coming back. As if Blaine sensed it, he reached over to grab Kurt's hand.

"It's okay," he murmured as they continued down the expansive stretch of highway, "you really have nothing to be afraid of anymore. They'll never even know you're back."

Kurt knew that this was, in essence, true. He knew that there was no way Karofsky and the other bullies knew he was headed back to Lima. Nevertheless, what if they made a mistake and were spotted? What if they walked into a gas station and they saw him?

Kurt really did not care about himself, but he did _not_ want Blaine to have to live through the torment. Kurt was strong enough to do it once and he knew he could live through it again.

"I'm okay, I just…it really strikes me that I left here," Kurt admitted, not even knowing he was really thinking that. However, it made sense all of a sudden. "I left this state, I left this town. Do you know how many people can say they have actually left Lima, Ohio? Like three!"

"Is that scientific?" Blaine asked with a grin has he peered at the exit signs.

Kurt gently hit his shoulder, "You know what I mean. I mean, I guess I'm not really out of it yet. Sure, I'm in Cape May for the summer but I'm not really sure I can stay there…."

"You're coming to New York with me," Blaine said quickly, "remember?"

"I do remember that," Kurt said slowly, "I'm just trying not to get my hopes too high into the air."

"I picked out your most exquisite pieces," Blaine said in the worst impersonation of Tim Gunn that Kurt had ever heard, "so I know you will get into those schools. You just have to stay positive."

"You have the best fashion sense after all," Kurt said with a glance at the cut off mustard yellow pants Blaine showed up in two days ago to start their journey toward Ohio.

Blaine stuck his tongue out, "Well it's good that I have a fantastic boyfriend that loves me and will dress me in all of the finest clothes that he designs."

"Suck up," Kurt grinned as he leaned toward Blaine's shoulder.

"But you like it," Blaine's voice dropped slightly.

Kurt felt the blush spread across his face, "You can't talk like that in front of my father, you know. He will literally kill you and make jerky from your skin."

"That's comforting," Blaine's voice went completely in a different direction.

Kurt nuzzled against Blaine's shoulder more, "Are you sure you don't want to stop at another hotel?"

"And have your father think I'm threatening his son's purity? No thank you," Blaine said in one breath.

"But you kind of…did already," Kurt reminded him gently, "a few times…"

"Nope."

"I think so," Kurt said as he pressed a kiss to the skin behind Blaine's ear.

"Nope."

He leaned forward and gently tugged on Blaine's earlobe, "Are you sure? Because I seem to remember a few different things…."

"We are reenacting the room for God…"

"I don't believe in God," Kurt reminded gently as his lips trailed down Blaine's neck.

"Or the flying spaghetti monster, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, a lawnmower, a swimming pool…" Blaine stuttered.

"Lady Gaga is actually quite tiny," Kurt breathed.

"You are going to make me run off the road," Blaine said, "and we don't have to leave room for Katy Perry but you need to let me focus. That paired with the fact that I have to pee and I haven't slept in twelve hours makes driving not so easy."

"I told you I could drive…"

Blaine shook his head, "No. I just…I need to think about something else than what my father's doing."

"What is your father doing?" Kurt pulled away slightly and slipped his seatbelt back on.

"There is…a ceremony of sorts for my mother this weekend," Blaine gritted out, "and he thinks he's going to show up and be husband of the year…well, ex-husband of the year."

Kurt worried his lip for a few seconds before asking a question he knew could lead to a fight, "Is it you that doesn't want him there, or does your mother not want him there?"

"My mother doesn't want him there," Blaine said with a little force, "neither does my brother and neither do I. Of course, he's never listened to us in the past so why should he now?"

"What kind of ceremony is it?" Kurt changed the topic.

Blaine fiddled with the radio, "Oh Uhm…just a ceremony."

Kurt played with his hands, "You know...you can tell me."

"I know," Blaine said, "but I just…I can't. Not yet."

Kurt wondered how long it was going to be. How long until Blaine felt comfortable enough to actually reveal this part of himself. Kurt felt like everything was out on the line with him, as if Blaine knew all of his deepest secrets.

However, Blaine was keeping one huge one and how many more that Kurt did not even know existed?

Kurt decided to try again, "Well, can I go with you?"

Blaine turned to him slowly before snapping his attention back to the highway, "You know, that actually isn't a bad idea."

Kurt was surprised, "Really?"

"Well, I mean, my mom really wants to meet you as does Cooper," Blaine rationalized more to himself, "and of course I really want them to meet you. Plus, each person only gets four tickets so that my father couldn't even come if he wanted to…"

"Plus if he sees me, he won't even want to be there," Kurt supplied helpfully.

Anything to get him to know more about the boy he loved.

"Well he won't know who you are."

Kurt took a deep breath, "Blaine...I kind of look gay. He'll know who I am."

"No he won't," Blaine argued back, "he honestly told me once that no man would ever love me. Well, he told me no one would ever love me but I think men are included in that…though I could be reading too much into it…"

Kurt just stared at Blaine. Someone actually told this amazing, smart, funny, handsome man that no one would ever love him? Didn't his father even feel a small bit of love?

"Well I love you, so he was obviously wrong. And your mother loves you, so does your brother…" Kurt ticked off the names of his roommates as well, "plus you have friends at school that loved you. I think your dad was severely wrong, in fact."

Blaine shrugged, "I honestly didn't believe him. I know that sounds…arrogant, but I knew that someone would have to love me eventually. I'm just glad it was someone I wanted to love me," Blaine looked over at Kurt with love in his eyes, "and someone I could love back."

"You're a sap," Kurt remarked but leaned over to kiss his cheek.

* * *

><p>When they arrived in Lima, Kurt was even worse. Gone were his thoughts about saving Blaine, and his flight instincts kicked in again when he saw a red truck that vaguely resembled the truck Karofsky used to drive.<p>

"Blaine, this was a bad idea. Can't I go stay in Westerville with you?" Kurt checked to make sure the doors were locked three times before Blaine grabbed his hand to calm him.

"You will be fine. Just…don't worry about anything. Your father will take care of you when I'm not around, and when I am around I just dare that Karofsky character to do something to you," Blaine flexed his muscles, "he'll have to deal with me."

"I don't think you're any match for The Fury…"

"The Fury?" Blaine raised his eyebrows, "who is The Fury? You've never told me about him…"

_Well there's a lot you haven't told me_, Kurt thought. "The Fury was the name Karofsky gave his fists…"

"Poetic…" Blaine quipped.

Kurt snorted, "Yeah, I told him he could easily work in a rendering plant with that type of creativity."

"I'm sure that went over well…" Blaine shook his head, "I would hate to be at the wrong end of your wit…"

"I'm sure you will be, you have a whole lifetime of me…I mean…" Kurt turned red, "Crap. Did I actually say that out loud?"

"You did," Blaine said, barely suppressing his grin, "and I loved it."

"You…you think about that?"

"Of course," Blaine laughed, "I think about making this exact trip home every summer, maybe with some car seats in the back, just to see our parents."

Kurt wanted to clap with happiness, "Oh my god, you can't talk like that."

Blaine shook his head, "You really do need to realize that good things can, should, and will happen to you Mr. Hummel."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Make a left here."

They pulled up outside of the familiar house, and Burt was at the car by the time Kurt even opened the door.

"My boy," Burt said as he crushed Kurt into a hug, "it's great to have you home, even though I know you really don't want to be."

"I missed you," Kurt said with tears in his eyes. He did mean it. He missed his father so much that at times he wanted to ask his father to move to New York with him. Or even New Jersey so he wouldn't be quite so far away.

He doubted his father would ever leave the place where his mother was buried, however.

"And you," Burt said as he let go too soon, "I hear I have to scare you now instead of be nice to you."

Blaine looked like he was going to cry, "No…I mean, you don't have to do that. I would never hurt your son, Mr. Hummel. I swear to you…"

Burt laughed, "I was just joking around, kid. I know you mean no harm to Kurt. Between the three of us, I knew you two would get together so I checked you out before you knew you were on the chopping block." Burt turned to Kurt, "I'm not so book smart, but I'm street smart."

Kurt leaned into Blaine, "Well, it's good to know he passed with flying colors."

"I didn't say that," Burt said seriously.

Blaine tightened his hold on Kurt. "Sir?"

"You'll only pass with flying colors if you stop calling me sir and Mr. Hummel…."

Blaine opened his mouth.

"….I will go only by Your Majesty."

"Dad!" Kurt exclaimed, "stop that!"

"Nope. Your Majesty it is or nothing at all." With that, Burt turned and walked back to the house, carrying Kurt's bags with him.

"I don't actually have to call him Your Majesty do I?" Blaine asked with a little laugh, "Because I totally will…."

"No you won't," Kurt snapped, "my father likes to show his creativity in silly ways as well. You will call him Burt."

"Can I call him Burty?"

"No."

Blaine shrugged as he picked up more of Kurt's stuff, "It was worth a shot."

"I can carry my own things you know," Kurt pointed out as they walked up the pathway, "I'm not inept."

"Fine," Blaine handed Kurt the bag.

Kurt took it. He did not want to feel like the damsel in distress anymore. He was equal to every single person within the town limits of Lima, within the boundaries of the United States and located on the planet.

Except perhaps Gaga, but that was a different story – he was not entirely sure she was located on the planet half of the time.

Blaine turned at the door, "I should probably get home. My mom wants to see me and she has to get to bed early tonight so she can be well rested for tomorrow. Are you sure you want to go to this?"

Kurt nodded, "I really do want to go. Are you having something afterwards?" It was awkward to ask, because Kurt really had no idea what was even going on.

"We were going to take her to Breadstix," Blaine offered, "I'm not sure if you'll want to go."

"Of course I do," Kurt smiled easily, "I want to meet your family, remember?"

"I'll come pick you up at 1?" Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck, "Okay?"

Kurt nodded, leaning in, "I love you."

"I love you too," Blaine whispered before leaning in and kissing Kurt soundly.

"Well, I do believe Westerville is pretty far away and you'll want to get there before rush hour," Burt said, breaking their moment.

"Of course Your Majesty, I mean Burty, I mean sir, I mean…Burt. I should avoid rush hour." Blaine blushed to the tips of his ears.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Blaine," Kurt said with a final kiss.

"Good-bye Blaine!" Burt said as he pulled Kurt into the house and shut the door behind him. "God, I missed you," Burt said, hugging Kurt again.

Kurt smiled, "I missed you too, it's been so long. Nearly a month since I last saw you."

"I guess I'll have to get used to it, ya know, when you go to New York," Burt smiled, "and become famous and forget your father," he added as an afterthought.

"I won't forget you," Kurt promised.

"Of course not, but you call me a lot less now that you are with Blaine," Kurt could tell that Burt was trying not to sound upset, but he knows his father is upset.

"I'm sorry," Kurt grabbed his father's arm, "I just…it's weird. When I'm with him I lose sense of time and place…and I just want to spend all my time with him."

Burt looked at Kurt critically for a few seconds, "You're not giving up on getting into one of those fancy schools, right?"

"No," Kurt completely forgot to tell Burt that he had sent more sketches into his schools. "Blaine and I actually worked to send more into the schools. Blaine thought it was better to give them an array of things instead of just one or two."

Burt nodded, "Well, that was pretty smart of Blaine."

Kurt nodded, "I thought so too. We just sent them in a few days ago so I don't even know when to expect anything back."

"When you do, I'm sure it will be good news. They were crazy to put you on a waitlist, and they'd be even crazier to do it again."

Kurt ducked his head, "I hope so. I really...I can't come back here."

"It isn't so bad," Burt said quietly, "it's home."

"That's all it has going for it," Kurt said as gently as he could.

Burt nodded, "Well, you're getting a home cooked meal tonight. Go change around and freshen up. You have an hour."

Kurt tried to ignore the fact that he had no one at home to go anywhere with, he had hoped Mercedes would be home but no such luck.

* * *

><p>"…and then Blaine completely wiped out and fell onto the lifeguard. He wouldn't look me in the eyes for about an hour…" Kurt laughed, scooping away the last of his mashed potatoes. "But the best part? Blaine said that the lifeguard asked him out…of course he said no," Kurt ended with a flourish.<p>

Burt chewed slowly before looking up at Kurt, "So do you have any stories from this past month that don't involve Blaine?"

Kurt stopped chewing and looked up from his plate – his father's tone annoyed him, "What do you mean? He's my boyfriend! Of course he's around all the time so my stories will have him…"

"I just…" Burt paused and looked down for a few seconds. Kurt could tell he was struggling to find the right words, "I don't hear you talk about Rachel anymore, or-or any of your friends. I don't want you to be so wrapped up in this kid that you forget the importance of friendship as well. What happens if you two break up? What's going to happen then?"

"We won't!"

Burt held up a hand to silence Kurt, "I'm not saying I think you will. I'm just saying what if? You get your heart broke easily, kid."

"I love him," Kurt said quietly.

Burt dropped his fork, "You love him? Have you told him that?"

Kurt nodded.

"And he loves you too?" Burt asked hopefully.

"He does," Kurt said, trying to hide his smile, "he told me a few days ago."

"Gosh," Burt looked around the room, "isn't that a little fast?"

"Is it?" Kurt frowned, "I had no idea. I kind of…just went with what I felt."

"Well, take it easy. I don't want you to regret this later."

"I won't," Kurt said with finality.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow? I know you have something with Blaine but how long is it going to take?"

Kurt perked up slightly, "Blaine's mother is graduating something or going through some sort of ceremony…I don't really have the details. However, I promised him I would go to that and then I would go to dinner with his family. You should come with…at least I don't think anyone would mind."

"Are these…fancy people? Blaine seems like he's one of those secretly rich types," Burt barely owned a suit, let alone something dressy casual to wear once a year if he was lucky. "I might have a mole-hair jacket in the back of my closet somewhere…I'm not sure there is time to rent a suit."

"I'm sure any of your jeans that don't have holes or grease on them would be apropos," Kurt had been mentally going through outfits the whole day. "You can't go to the ceremony because there are only four tickets, but I'm sure they wouldn't care about going to Breadstix."

"Only four tickets and you get one?"

"There are some," Kurt tried to find a nicer way to say that Blaine's father was a class A asshole, "problems with Blaine's father that inhibit his attendance."

* * *

><p>The next day, Kurt ran down the stairs at 12:30, running rather late. "I'm sorry," he called to Blaine as he slipped his shoes on, "I really wanted to be on time but my bed felt so good…"<p>

"It's fine," Blaine laughed, taking Kurt's hand and pressing a kiss to his cheek, "I told my mom we might have to wait. Cooper is in your parking lot and since there isn't room for you in the van, we'll follow behind."

Kurt walked out of the house to see a navy van decorated completely with cans, balloons, and writing all over the windows.

_Congratulations_

_We love you_

_Thank you_

_Strongest Woman Alive_

_We're so proud of you_

Kurt tried to piece the puzzle together, but he was having a hard time. "Blaine…I'm confused."

Blaine blushed, "We just…we wanted her to know how proud we are of her."

"I gathered, but why?"

"Kurt…do you want to meet my mother?" Blaine asked suddenly.

Kurt nodded and allowed Blaine to pull him toward the van – what he saw was not nearly what he expected.


	22. The Andersons

**Hello all! Warning, this is unedited because I have a four year old clinging to my leg at the moment.**

**Enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

Before Kurt could even say anything, a taller man pushed in front of Blaine, "Hello Kurt, it's very nice to meet you. Blaine has told me so much." There was an icy tone in his voice that Kurt did not like, nor understand.

"Cooper," Blaine warned, "don't be a jerk to him."

"It's very nice to meet you," Kurt said happily. He figured he would kill Cooper with kindness if he didn't like him very much.

"_Cooper_," a gentle voice said, "could you move so I can meet Blaine's boyfriend."

Cooper glared at Kurt and Blaine for a few more seconds before stepping aside.

Kurt stepped forward nervously, "H-hello Mrs. Anderson, I'm Kurt Hummel," he extended his hand to the woman sitting in the back of the van.

Blaine stepped up and gently pulled Kurt's other hand up and moved him closer, "She can't use that hand yet," Blaine said quietly.

As the small, soft hand slipped into his own, Kurt wondered how it had happened. The woman before him was beautiful – her short hair was neatly styled and she was dressed in clothes he knew came from a runway show a few years back. He could so easily see where Blaine got his looks from, and that caused him to smile even wider at the woman.

Still, the questions swirled in his head.

He could see now that her left arm moved less than it should have, and only just slightly. The woman was lying slightly on the seat, and a wheelchair was on the seat next to her. He could see the mechanics of the van, and realized it was programmed to help the woman get out either completely or faster.

"It's nice to meet you," he felt his mouth forming the words. Simple courtesy told him not to stare at Blaine's mother, but he couldn't help himself.

"Can we go now?" Cooper sounded bored, "I don't want us to be late because we are delivering the flowers for the ceremony."

"Cooper don't be rude," Blaine's mother said in a slightly tense tone, "We have plenty of time."

Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist, "Coop's right, mom, we should probably get going. You can talk to Kurt at dinner tonight, okay?"

The woman sighed, "Of course, besides, Kurt seems a little confused by all of this so I think you need to take the long way to the center to explain everything to him."

Blaine nodded, and scratched at the back of his neck, "Yeah…I'll have to do that."

Kurt leaned into Blaine a little, trying to let him know that he wasn't mad. Was he confused? Yes. However, mad wasn't something he thought he could possibly feel at the moment.

Blaine kissed Kurt's temple, "I'll explain," he whispered.

Kurt nodded, "Whenever you feel ready."

"Well you two are adorable," Mrs. Anderson said, "but I really do need to be off."

Blaine leaned in and kissed his mother's cheek, "We'll be there in a few, okay?"

With that, Blaine pulled Kurt toward the car, "I know you probably are so confused right now."

"Hm…that would sum it up," Kurt said gently, not wanting to push Blaine.

Blaine took a deep breath and started the car, both hands gripping the wheel. Kurt wanted nothing more than to hold one and tell Blaine that it was okay, that whatever happened to his mother was fine, Kurt was not going to judge the family.

Because Kurt's mind was going a million miles an hour trying to fill in the gaps in Blaine's story.

Did Blaine's father abuse his wife?

Was there a car accident?

Was she giving birth to Blaine and it happened?

Was Blaine learning to drive and got into a horrible car accident?

"I can practically hear your mind working," Blaine said over the hum of the engine. "I…I don't really know where to start."

Kurt put his hand on Blaine's shoulder because it appeared as if he wasn't letting go of the steering wheel, even at the red light. Blaine closed his eyes briefly and let out a sigh. "Just start wherever you want to," Kurt suggested.

"Remember…" Blaine trailed off, "…remember when I told you about the Sadie Hawkins dance?"

Kurt bit his lip, "Yes."

"Remember how I said someone jumped in just as the bat was going to hit me?"

"It was your mom," Kurt finished quietly; "your mom took the hit."

Blaine let out a sob, "It should have been me."

Kurt leaned over the center console, "Oh my god honey no. No no no no no. Please, don't think like that."

Blaine shook his head, his hands shaking as he pulled the car over – they still had twenty minutes to get to the ceremony. "I let my mother take the hit for me, Kurt. What kind of man does that make me? I let my mother get hurt because I was too much of a coward to stand up and fight for myself."

"First of all," Kurt said loud enough to break into the babbling boy's thoughts, "you probably had no idea it was your mother when someone pushed you out of the way. Second, of course, you were not a man; you were a freshman in high school. The man I see today would have stood up and fought for himself. And even if you didn't, the boys had baseball bats, Blaine, you are not expected to be brave when facing something like that. Hell, I shrunk away from ice and corn syrup!"

"It was so bad, Kurt," Blaine said quietly, still not meeting his eyes, "she was in a coma for weeks…she couldn't walk or-or talk right away. The talking came first," he said with a laugh, "and it came back in full force. But I still...my dad, he blamed me. Cooper never said he blamed me but I know he did. If I-I wouldn't be like this…if I wouldn't like other boys...my family would still be the way it was. My father would still be in the house, my brother would still talk to me about normal things, my mother would still walk and move normally, and everything would be nearly perfect. I have hurt pretty much everyone I loved because of it. What if you are next, Kurt? Or one of my friends? Or someone in your family?"

Kurt had wrapped his arms around Blaine somewhere mid-speech and did not let him go, "Please don't talk like that. You are perfect the way you are, Blaine, you are not cursed. There is just something wrong with the world that let this happen. I know people probably blamed you, but I don't, and from the way your mother looked at you, she doesn't blame you either."

Blaine still didn't look at Kurt, "I…I understand if you look at me differently now. I understand if…if this isn't the type of man you want to be with."

Kurt's heart broke into pieces, "You seriously think that I would be willing to turn you away now because of something that happened, something that was not your fault, years ago? Blaine," Kurt turned Blaine's face so they met eyes, "you are a beautiful human being in every way. I love you, your mom loves you, your brother loves you, and you mean something to each of us. Please, don't pull away."

Blaine's eyes watered, but tears no longer fell. "You-you really think that?"

"Yes."

Blaine nodded, "She, um, the ceremony is because she finished the main part of physical therapy. They have a ceremony for the people who regain a lot of their motor function…or, well, any of it really. That's what we've been paying for – the therapy."

"Shouldn't the insurance company pay that?" Kurt mused aloud, not really meaning to say it.

Blaine sighed again, "Well, they should have. But when my parents got divorced, my mom lost insurance coverage."

Kurt snapped to attention, "Your parents were divorced when it happened?"

"Separated, but the insurance company viewed it the same way. Because she threw herself in the line of fire, she was technically not covered fully," Blaine explained. "It sucked."

Kurt suddenly felt so bad about taking Blaine away from his shifts all those times. "Oh Blaine, you should have told me before and I wouldn't have been so insistent on making you call off work…"

"It's over now," Blaine said with a smile, "she's okay. She might n-never regain full control of her arm, but she has a lot of workouts to do and things like that. My brother and I both got her a personal trainer for her birthday. Plus, we're suing the hell out of the guys who did it."

Kurt gripped Blaine's knee, "Honey, I want to talk about this more later, but I think we should probably get going to the ceremony. We don't want to keep your mother waiting."

"Thank you for being so understanding," Blaine said, "I really do love you, Kurt."

Kurt blushed but encouraged Blaine to continue toward the ceremony.

The ceremony passed with laughter, tears, and even some cheering as the ten honorees walked across the stage to symbolize the end of their treatment.

Kurt was moved, because these people were continuing on with their lives even though they faced some of the biggest challenges a person could. It gave Kurt hope that maybe his problems were not so big; in fact, they were small in comparison.

"Mom, I'm so proud of you," Blaine rushed toward his mother once the ceremony was over, a huge bouquet of roses in his hand.

She blushed but clung to her son, "It means so much to me that you could be here for this, baby. You too Kurt!"

Kurt smiled but said nothing, simply watching the scene between his boyfriend and one of the strongest women he had ever seen.

"Blaine, can you go out to the van with Cooper and get my wheelchair? Too much stress today," she pushed him away gently, "I'll use the time to get to know your boyfriend."

"Kurt, can you," Blaine nodded down to his arm wrapped around his mom's waist.

Kurt moved quickly and wrapped an arm around Mrs. Anderson's waist. The woman was tiny underneath her clothing, and Kurt wondered if she had always been that way or if it was a result of the injuries.

"So tell me about yourself," the woman suggested as she obviously sense Kurt's nerves.

"Well…I'm Kurt. I grew up in Lima…so I guess I really wasn't that far away from Blaine all this time," he laughed nervously, "I'm hoping to go to New York in the fall to major in fashion design…but I'm still hearing back from some schools."

"Are you planning on living with my son?" she asked. Her tone was conversational, but Kurt could tell she was testing him.

"I…yes," he acknowledged, "if I don't get in I think I still will…I'll probably just get a job or something until I can figure it out."

"Kurt…I'm going to be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of my son finding a boyfriend this summer. I don't want him to get hurt," Mrs. Anderson looked deeply into his eyes, "now I don't get the impression that you are out to hurt him. But still, the boy has been hurt by nearly everyone. If you hurt him, just know that my family has mob connections."

Kurt opened his mouth, but all that came out was a squeak.

Mrs. Anderson laughed, "I'm kidding of course. Nevertheless, don't test a mother scorned, okay? I'm quite protective of Little Bear."

"Little Bear?" Kurt said quickly.

"Oh! I told him I wouldn't talk about that," she bit her lip (look extremely like Blaine in the process), "please don't say anything to him about it. He'll positively lock himself in his room for days in embarrassment."

"Mom, the van is out front, do you need help into the wheelchair?" Blaine has the collapsible wheelchair opened, and for the first time Kurt could see how it was lined with beautiful fabric and the wheel were wrapped with coordinating fabric as well.

"No, let me do it myself. I never got an arm workout in today," his mother sat daintily and wheeled herself slowly to the door.

"So what did you talk about?" Blaine asked as he took Kurt's hand in his own.

"Not much…Little Bear," Kurt grinned.

"MOM!" Blaine whined, "I told you not to tell him!"

* * *

><p>The formal introductions between Mrs. Anderson and Kurt's dad were somewhat awkward. Burt had a much harder time hiding his surprise than Kurt did. Mrs. Anderson, or Alyce as Kurt learned, laughed it off and pulled the chair closest to her out for Burt to sit.<p>

Cooper seemed to visibly relax around Kurt as the night progressed. Even going so far as to ask Kurt about what schools he applied to and what he planned to do once he got a degree.

It was not until Kurt felt Blaine tense up beside him that he knew something was going seriously wrong. "Babe, what's wrong?" Kurt whispered, trying not to draw attention to Blaine.

Blaine scrambled to hold Kurt's hand underneath the table, "My dad is over there," he tried to say as quietly as he could. His voice, however, cracked and alerted Cooper to the man across the room.

"Shit what the fuck is he doing here?" Cooper spit, throwing down his fork.

"Cooper," Mrs. Anderson admonished, "language. We have guests here."

"I'm sorry Mom, it's just…" Cooper struggled, trying to get Blaine to help him. "We might have another guest."

"Who? Have you finally picked a girl?" she asked as she struggled to butter her bread. She glanced at Burt, "He never can really seem to pick one that sticks. They all leave after a few weeks. That is why I was so surprised when your son was a weekly conversation piece. Though I suppose Blaine is quite different from his brother."

"You've got that right," a low voice interjected. "Quite different."

"Thomas," Mrs. Anderson said with a glare, "I don't believe you were invited."

Kurt felt Blaine slipping down his chair. "Can I disappear?"

"No," Kurt clutched his hand tighter, "you will not cower away from him."

Their conversation seemed to alert the man of Kurt's presence, "And who do we have here?"

"Kurt Hummel, sir," Kurt said in his most authoritative voice.

"Hummel?" Mr. Anderson paused for a second and looked at Burt, "You're Burt Hummel, the Congressman?"

"Sure am," his father said, none the wiser. He stuck out his hand, "Pleased to meet you. I'm assuming you're their father?"

He nodded, "and why may I ask are you eating with my family? I didn't know you were dating Alyce."

"I'm not," she said proudly, "But your son is."

He motioned to the empty chair, "Good man, Cooper. You really caught a good one. Where is she?" He clapped his son on the shoulder with a proud beam.

"Actually," Kurt said loudly, "It's me. I'm Blaine's boyfriend."

Cooper, Blaine, and Mrs. Anderson all visibly steeled themselves against the table.

Mr. Anderson let out a hollow laugh, "Very funny. I almost bought it. You should really go into acting kid."

"Thomas," Mrs. Anderson had the same tone with him that she had with Cooper moments early.

He ignored it. "Blaine, you seem well. I see you refuse to cut that bush on your head again. You will never make in anywhere looking like that. Not that I'm assuming you'll ever leave your mother's house."

Blaine looked down, but Kurt squeezed his hand again and it seemed to give Blaine strength. "Actually, I'm going to Columbia in the fall, father. I am living in your apartment. You know, the one mom got. So I guess you're right in a way."

Something passed over Mr. Anderson's face that mirrored anger, but he quickly quelled it again. "My apartment? Well, I'm glad it is getting use as a chateau for the morally depraved."

"It's very nice," Kurt couldn't help but interject, "I can't wait to live there."

Mr. Anderson appraised Kurt again, "So you really are dating my son?"

Kurt nodded proudly, taking his hand and wrapping his entire arm around Blaine's body.

"How'd you convince him to do that?" Mr. Anderson said coolly to Blaine. "Does he know what a pathetic excuse for a human being you are?"

"THOMAS."

"DAD."

"EXCUSE ME?"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

The other four people at the table exploded on the man. Blaine sat there and shook his head. Kurt knew his nerves were already on edge from the conversation they'd had in the car earlier.

Mr. Anderson realized that he had overstayed his welcome. "Mr. Hummel, it was great meeting you. If you had any sense in you, you would keep your son away from Blaine. He tends to ruin everything he touches, and I am sure Kurt here will not be any different. I found it's best to cut all ties completely."

Burt clenched his fists, "Mr. Anderson, with all due respect, I think enough of my son to allow him to choose his own boyfriend. I also happen to think you have a fantastic son that you are making a huge mistake with."

Mr. Anderson said nothing but turned to Cooper, "Goodbye son, I'll see you on Tuesday for golf."


	23. Happiness

**This is just a fluffy/smutty update. :)**

**Chapter 23**

It was not even a week later when an envelope too large to fit inside the box appeared at the Victorian house along Cape May's beaches.

Kurt answered the door at nine in the morning, still wiping the sleep from his eyes and trying too hard not to glare at the man just doing his job. "Yes?" he said tentatively, having spotted the envelope.

"I have a rather large envelope for a Mr. Kurt E. Hummel?" the man said politely.

"T-that would be me," Kurt was nervous because he automatically knew what the envelope was – it was from Parsons. "Can you take it back?" he said quickly, without thinking. "I mean, that's me. I'm Kurt E. Hummel."

The man smiled behind his bushy mustache, "Well then this envelope would be for you. Have a nice day sir." The man nodded before turning and leaving. If they would have been in different positions, Kurt would have sprinted away from the house.

"I'm an idiot," he murmured as he inspected the envelope. It wasn't anything like the envelope he had received in February. Instead, it was so stuffed full of papers that the envelope was barely staying closed. He traced the bright red design on the return address.

This was it.

This was the acceptance to Parsons.

It had to be, Kurt reasoned. There was no way they would send him a huge packet just to reject him. That seemed far too cruel to do to someone.

Kurt knew Blaine was on the dock with the children from the hotel, but he didn't even care. He slipped his boat shoes on, forgot about the fact that he was in pajamas, and ran toward the dock. He knew anyone that saw him would think he was crazy but for the first time:

He didn't care.

He didn't care that his hair was a mess.

He didn't care that his clothes really didn't match.

He didn't care that he hadn't even opened the envelope yet.

All that mattered was the fact that he had the envelope in his hands, and that he would be going, as an equal, to New York with Blaine.

Tears formed in his eyes the moment he saw Blaine standing on the dock. His broad shoulders and back were to Kurt, but it didn't matter.

"Mr. Blaine…." A child said while pointing behind him.

Blaine turned quickly and his eyes lit up at the sight of Kurt and the envelope.

They didn't even need to say anything. Kurt didn't even know what he was doing, he jumped up on Blaine and hugged him, "I got in! I got in!"

Blaine was twirling him around, wet tears falling onto his shoulder, "I'm so proud of you!"

Kurt realized they were putting on a show for twelve very confused children, and lowered his legs quickly. "I didn't even open it yet…but it's the big envelope."

Blaine laughed, "Open it now!"

Kurt slipped his finger under the envelope and opened it despite his shaking fingers. He wanted to catalogue this memory in his brain for the rest of time – every single face, every sound, every emotion.

He unfolded the letter carefully – he was going to scrapbook it later.

He read it to Blaine.

_Dear Mr. Hummel:_

_Congratulations! You have been moved to the Parsons New School of Design Class of 2017 registry. You are one of only three students to be moved to the new class. Our academic and art committees have the utmost confidence in your abilities and your obvious growth has surprised and inspired us. We are thrilled to have you in our ranks and even more excited to learn of your experiences working with Victorian garments this summer. You are expected to arrive August 24, 2012 for your orientation. _

The letter went on to describe dorming, finances, and meal plans. Kurt didn't even pay attention to the other forms – he just hugged the letter to his chest.

"I did it," he whispered, oblivious to Blaine staring at him.

"You are amazing," Blaine whispered as he wrapped his arms around Kurt. "I knew they would realize the huge mistake they made. One of three to move from the waitlist! One of three! Do you know many people they probably had – hundreds!"

"I doubt it," Kurt said while reddening quickly. "But I'm happy they have faith in me."

"How couldn't they?" Blaine exclaimed, "You are Kurt Hummel!"

"Oh my god, I have to tell my dad! I have to tell Meg! I have to tell Mercedes!" Kurt couldn't wait for them to share in his excitement. They'd all been there for so long that he knew they would love to see him win as much as he wanted to win.

Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple, "And I have to get back to work, unfortunately. How about we celebrate tonight," his tone went gravelly by the end. "I know Meg is out of town right now."

Kurt shivered, "In front of children Blaine, really? I expected better of you."

Blaine winked, "They didn't hear any of it anyway. They're too distracted by the parasailer."

Kurt turned to see that Blaine was right – they were all staring into the sky. He wondered how Blaine even knew what they were doing. He knew that he couldn't pay attention to the children and be engaged in a conversation at the same time. Not for the first time, Kurt thought about if that was how it would be in the future. Would Blaine still have that sixth sense when it came to children?

Would he be that way with their children?

"Kurt? Are you okay?" Blaine grabbed his hand, "You have a weird look on your face…"

Kurt shook his head, "I was just thinking about…the future."

"I'm so happy for you," Blaine said sincerely, "but I really do need to get back to work if we want to pay the bills in our fancy apartment while we are in New York."

Kurt grinned, "I'll see you tonight for dinner, right?"

"I'll be there around five. Dress nice."

* * *

><p>"Dinner was good," Kurt commented between kisses as Blaine pulled him up the stairs.<p>

"Excellent," Blaine whispered as he leaned down to kiss Kurt's neck. He pulled back quickly and grabbed Kurt's hand to lead him into Kurt's bedroom.

As soon as Blaine had shut the door, Kurt found himself pressed up against it, the warmth pressing into his chest sharply contrasting from the coldness of the door his back was pressed into. He hadn't even had time to take a breath before Blaine's lips met his and he couldn't believe this had happened. Kurt could feel how desperate, how full of want and need and lust Blaine's kiss was. It hadn't been like that yet, the inherent need and want to feel each other.

And it was fucking amazing.

He returned the kiss with as much passion as he possibly could, and he smirked just a little when he felt Blaine moan into the kiss. The pale boy pulled his lips from Blaine's, and the shorter boy pouted from the loss. Kurt wasn't done, though. Soon he pressed his lips against Blaine's jaw, and when they passed over his pulse point, the olive-skinned boy couldn't stop the moan that passed between his parted lips. Kurt felt like being slightly adventurous and bit down gently on the juncture between shoulder and neck.

"Kurt... god, Kurt," Blaine panted as Kurt worked at making a hickey that would mark Blaine as his, and at that moment Kurt didn't care what anyone would think when they saw the mark.

Kurt looked at his handiwork, and, satisfied with the shade of purple he had turned Blaine's olive skin, he brought his lips up to Blaine's and felt the warm, soft lips meet his, matching exactly how much passion he put into the kiss. He ran his tongue along Blaine's lower lip, and soon Blaine's mouth was open and their tongues were wrestling and Kurt must have won because Blaine's tongue had stilled and Kurt could taste coffee and vanilla, and then something that could only be described as Blaine. It was musky, salty, yet kind of sweet. He explored every inch of Blaine's mouth, trying to get as much of that taste as he possibly could. Kurt pulled away once more, and smiled softly as Blaine whimpered from the loss.

"That was... unexpected." Blaine tried to catch his breath, but Kurt pawed through his clothes and made that nearly impossible.

"Yeah, but judging by the noises you were making, you thoroughly enjoyed that," Kurt said as he leaned further into Blaine.

Blaine captured Kurt's lips in a fiery kiss, showing all the passion he was too afraid to reveal just hours earlier on the dock. He ran his tongue along Kurt's bottom lip, and Kurt hadn't even realized he'd opened his lips before he felt Blaine's tongue in his mouth and all attempts at thinking were replaced with Blaine's name and various curses.

Soon Blaine's mouth was on Kurt's neck again and Kurt couldn't breathe because holy crap it felt so fucking _good_. "Blaine!" Kurt cried out as Blaine trailed little nips down Kurt's jaw line, sucking on the taller boy's pulse point. Kurt knew he fully intended to leave a hickey that was almost identical to the one Kurt had left earlier.

"I love you so much," Blaine gasped when he pulled back.

"I love you too," Kurt said, kissing him quickly, "I can't wait until we can do this all the time in New York. Just us. No waiting for the house to be empty."

Their lips crashed together once more, neither sure who initiated the kiss, and Blaine tried to lead the way as Kurt refused to detach his lips from Blaine's. They knocked over Kurt's desk chair and managed to run into the bed frame when they finally reached the bed.

Once they reached the bed, Blaine found himself pressed up against the wall instead, with very soft lips kissing, biting, sucking at his neck.

"Kurt- too many clothes- god, Kurt, I love you." Kurt smirked and relaxed the pressure that was keeping Blaine against the wall. Kurt needed to feel Blaine's skin and knew Blaine was thinking the same thing. They moved toward the bed stripping.

Kurt ripped off the last articles of clothing covering his torso, and took a second to admire Blaine, the trails of dark hair coating his chest, the faint six-pack that made Kurt's cock twitch, the V that dipped down into his pants, which were forming a tent. The taller boy let out a soft moan, and half-spoke, half-whispered, "You're perfect."

Kurt knew he said it every time, but it was true. He still had a hard time believing this was his.

Blaine stared at Kurt, his fingers gently trailing down Kurt's skin, "God, Kurt, you're so beautiful." Blaine nuzzled into his neck again, "I'm so freaking lucky. You're perfect."

Kurt's eyes met Blaine's, hope shining through the blue and green and gray that mixed together to form an indescribable color. "Y-you really think so?"

"Absolutely. I can't imagine anyone telling you otherwise, and I can't believe how lucky I am to be with you right now." Kurt felt truly gorgeous when he was with Blaine, like the words other people said didn't matter. The dark-haired boy pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's lips, which responded instantly. They kissed until their lungs burned from the need to breathe, and pulled apart, gasping for air.

Kurt's eyes traced the contours of Blaine's shirtless body, and before his brain could stop him, Kurt was on top of Blaine, hands memorizing every inch of tanned skin, lips crashing back into lips with primal need that Kurt didn't know he was capable of feeling. Long fingers grazed Blaine's nipples, and the shorter boy bucked involuntarily, his arousal meeting Kurt's.

Both let out a loud, harsh moan and ground their cocks together, desperately craving friction, anything to give them relief. Again, the thought that there were far too many layers between them crossed their minds, and Blaine's hands traveled to Kurt's jeans, unbuttoning them and peeling them off his boyfriend's legs.

He arched into Kurt (earning a rather loud moan) and Kurt ripped the tight jeans away from their owner. His hips pressed down into Blaine's and both boys' vision blurred from the pleasure and the fact that there was essentially nothing between them.

Both had the same thought at the same time and thumbs were hooked into waistbands and before they had time to think about whether they should really be doing this, boxers were flung carelessly off the bed and they were grinding into each other with no barriers. Precum dripped from both heads and the pleasure when cock met aching cock was too much and not enough at the same time.

Before long, Kurt moved from Blaine's mouth to trail sloppy kisses down his neck, pausing to nip again at his collarbone, and continued with the kisses down his chest, veering off to the side to tease Blaine's nipple, just for a second, before returning to his path. He felt the hair getting thicker as he neared Blaine's arousal, and stopped to glance at it. His heart raced as he took in the sight of the boy that was only his.

His mouth was situated directly above Blaine, and he was so very close to the other boy's cock, yet he didn't touch it. It seemed he did everything but touch it. He moved his head around it, letting his nose graze the surrounding skin, yet was very careful to avoid the pulsating length he knew would be Blaine's undoing.

"God, Kurt..." Blaine whimpered, and Kurt could feel his cock, which had been hard far longer than could be comfortable, twitch from the desperation in the olive-skinned boy's voice.

Then Kurt had an idea. "Tell me what you want, Blaine."

"Kurt... need... you..." The feel of Kurt's hot breath against the head of his cock was almost too much, and any attempts at forming words were thrown out the window.

"You have me, baby. I'm going to need you to be more specific." Kurt had to bite the inside of his cheek to focus on something other than his own desperation, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. His cock throbbed painfully, and he had to bite his lip to stifle a moan, which added to his arousal even more, if that was possible.

Blaine's mouth seemed to be more capable of coherency than his brain at that moment. "God, Kurt, I need you to suck me right now please. I'm going to die if you don't."

Kurt couldn't resist any more, and pressed his tongue to the rock-hard cock sitting in front of him. The harsh groan that Kurt somehow knew was his name.

Kurt smirked, the power he had over Blaine boosting his confidence. He kissed the head of Blaine's arousal, and took it into his mouth, as far as he could. Blaine, unable to stop himself, bucked up. Kurt squeezed his thigh to show him that it was okay.

All Blaine could do was nod, and his vision faded to white for a moment as his dick was surrounded by the wet heat of Kurt's mouth. Tentatively, he began to thrust, shallowly at first, then gained confidence at the amazing feeling. Kurt reveled in the feeling, he could feel Blaine's legs shaking and hear him losing the ability to control himself.

"Kurt- close," was all he could say, but Kurt pulled off of his dick with something even better in mind. And he wasn't quite ready for Blaine to come yet.

"Babe, I want you to fuck me." The request startled Blaine, and he looked at Kurt.

"Do- are you sure- if you want to, I can bottom. I don't ne-" He was cut off by a pair of lips moving confidently against his own.

"Blaine, I'm sure. And I want to bottom, just to see what it's like."

"It-it'll hurt. Still sure?"

"Just fuck me. But, erm, I think you want to prep me first." Kurt winced at what it might feel like without stretching. He saw a question about to form, and answered it with a nod toward the nightstand.

Though, he was nervous.

Blaine scrambled for a condom and some lube, and squeezed the cool liquid onto his fingers. He motioned for Kurt to spread his legs, and the porcelain-skinned boy did, almost shaking with anticipation. Blaine circled around Kurt's hole before finally inching a single finger in.

Kurt's vision swam and he instinctively clenched around Blaine's finger, but forced himself to relax when the burn intensified. Slowly, the pain faded to a bearable level and Kurt nodded, almost imperceptibly, giving permission for Blaine to continue. The paler boy felt a pressure and suddenly burning pain shot up his back as Blaine pushed in a second finger. He froze, and when Kurt began to relax, he wiggled his fingers, stretching Kurt as much as possible before crooking his fingers just right, causing the younger one to cry out from the sudden burst of pleasure.

"OHFUCKBLAINERIGHTTHERE!" was all Kurt was able to say as an intense wave of pleasure destroyed all ability to form thoughts that didn't consist of Blaine's name and choice swears.

"Right... here?" On the second word, Blaine crooked his fingers again, hitting Kurt's prostate at the perfect angle. Kurt screamed out Blaine's name, along with curse words he wouldn't say in polite conversation. He ground his hips down onto Blaine's fingers, desperate for more.

This needed to happen much more frequently.

Blaine moaned and Kurt blushed when he saw him looking at his hand. "Babe…I need…"

"Do it," Kurt instructed.

He pulled out his fingers and wasted no time in rolling on a condom. He slicked up his cock in record time and positioned himself at Kurt's entrance. Kurt knew that all Blaine wanted to do was shove the rest in and just pound Kurt so hard he wouldn't be able to walk for a week, but he knew he couldn't do that to him – Kurt needed time to adjust. Kurt also knew that Blaine understood that.

Slowly, gently, he pushed in, stopping to let Kurt adjust whenever he felt the smaller boy clench around him. By the time he was all the way in Kurt, white spots were dancing across his vision and he let a loud moan slip.

"God, Kurt, you're so fucking _tight_..." Blaine gripping onto Kurt tightly – enough to leave marks for quite a few days. Carefully, he pulled out until just the head of his cock was in Kurt, and moaned softly when Kurt clenched around it. He thrust in again, and then Kurt met his thrust. They found a rhythm and, with a slight angle adjustment from Blaine, Kurt cried out when Blaine found his prostate.

"FUCK! Ah, Blaine, holy shit, Blaine," Kurt moaned, chanting Blaine's name like it would save his life. "So close, Blaine, I'm co-HOLYSHITBLAINE!"

Blaine breathed in sharply as he felt Kurt contract around him, and suddenly there was hot, sticky cum all over their stomach, and the fact that he was the one that had done this to Kurt was enough to send Blaine falling over the edge. Pleasure seemed to be flowing through his veins instead of blood, and he nearly blacked out from the overload. When he came down from his high, he gently pulled out of a half-conscious Kurt, and soon they were on their sides, Kurt pressed up against Blaine's muscular chest, and then Blaine was fast asleep around him.

Kurt couldn't wait for New York.


End file.
